Children and COVID-19 Research Library

Single-parent families have historically faced greater economic precarity relative to other family types in the United States. This study investigate how and whether those disparities widened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data on exposure to school and childcare center closures, unemployment, poverty, food hardship, and frequent worrying among single-parent families versus two-parent families throughout 2020 and 2021, it find that the challenges that single parents faced prior to the pandemic generally magnified after the arrival of COVID-19. In April 2020, one in four single parents was unemployed, and unemployment rates recovered more slowly for single parents throughout 2021, perhaps in part due to their unequal exposure to school and childcare closures. The expansion of income transfers largely buffered against potential increases in poverty and hardship, but levels of worrying among single parents continued to worsen throughout 2021.

The growth in single-parent households is a significant issue, especially because these mothers are in charge of raising and socialising future generations of a country. Recently, it is stated that they have inadequate income and have been reported to have a high level of psychological distress due to a lack of additional support in dealing with household issues. This situation has been getting worst since the pandemic Covid-19 from 2020 to 2021. Many single mothers, have lost their income, health, and economic stability as a result of the virus. This group is facing everyday inconveniences, social isolation, and financial hardship. As a consequence, they are more sensitive to emotional discomfort and disruptions in parenting. On that account, this research been organized by identifying psychological health factors that affect single mothers namely self-esteem, quality of life and financial well-being by conducting a systematic literature review which will be used to propose directions for future research.

Family and work lives are continually transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Single parent families may be disproportionately affected by prolonged confinement and work-from-home (WFH) arrangements. This photovoice study explores how single mothering is shaped by WFH during the COVID-19 pandemic using an ecological perspective. Fifteen (15) single mothers participated in this remote photovoice project that was facilitated through digital and Internet-mediated methods. The mothers took photographs of daily home and work life highlights. These photographs were used to guide the one-on-one interviews conducted via videoconferencing.