The mental health of single-parent families in relation to psychological, societal and financial parameters.

Over the last decades a great deal of changes have taken place in the family structure leading to an increase in single-parent families. Studies demonstrate that almost 3 out of 10 children are being raised in single-parent households, while this number is expected to increase in the future. The aim of the present chapter is to discuss the risk of mental health difficulties in single parent families. It seems that the majority of single parent households is headed by single mothers who often face a number of difficulties and challenges in practicing their parenting role. Single parents, especially single mothers seem to experience increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression, face more socioeconomic difficulties and lack of social support as compared to married couple families. Furthermore, the absence of an additional primary caregiver who could share the responsibilities of the household may lead to feelings of low self-esteem and isolation. Moreover, aggravating factors such as chronic health conditions of the child can make the single parent’s burden even harder to carry. In addition to the above, single parenting may be associated with several mental health difficulties for the children as well, such as anxiety, depression and externalizing disorders, whereas in some cases it can lead to school dropout and poor health. Taking into consideration the obstacles encountered by single parents in many aspects of their life as well as the continuously increasing numbers of single parenthood, it is considered necessary for mental health professionals to support them in their parenting role and enhance their mental health