Child Care, Work, and Depressive Symptoms Among Low-Income Mothers

2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 609-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Press ◽  
Jay Fagan ◽  
Elisa Bernd

Focusing on social factors associated with increased depressive symptoms among working mothers living in poor urban neighborhoods, this study investigates the effects of welfare participation, employment conditions, and child care on women's emotional well-being. The authors use new data from the Philadelphia Survey of Child Care and Work. Hierarchical regression analyses reveal minimal effects of welfare participation on depressive symptoms. However, women's employment characteristics and child care problems were significantly related to emotional well-being. Interaction effects between child care and employment were also explored. Mothers who had concerns about child care were more likely to report depressive symptoms when they had good-quality jobs (higher wages) or when they had only one job or were not unemployed.

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1185-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Usdansky ◽  
Douglas A. Wolf

Qualitative research suggests that day-to-day problems with child care produce significant costs for low-income mothers. But the relevance of daily child care problems for mothers of all socioeconomic backgrounds has been largely overlooked. This article asks two interrelated questions: What factors shape how often mothers experience child care disruptions? and What factors shape how often care disruptions lead mothers to miss work? Using the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study ( N = 1,309), which includes mothers across the socioeconomic spectrum, this research finds that low-income mothers, mothers whose shifts vary, mothers who rely on patchwork care, and mothers with low social support are likely to experience care disruptions. But only mothers with low social support and mothers who use certain types of child care face an elevated risk of missing work. The findings underscore the widespread nature of child care problems and their heightened impact on socially isolated mothers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15-16) ◽  
pp. 3054-3078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth W. Sauber ◽  
Karen M. O’Brien

This study advanced knowledge regarding the mechanisms through which intimate partner violence relates to psychological and financial distress with a sample of diverse low-income women. Data were collected from 147 female domestic violence survivors who were abused by a male partner within the past 6 months. Three hierarchical regression analyses revealed that psychological, physical, and economic abuse were predictive of posttraumatic stress, depression, and economic self-sufficiency among survivors. Guided by the Conservation of Resources Theory, the loss of financial, work, and interpersonal resources also predicted these three outcomes, above and beyond abuse experiences (i.e., economically controlling behaviors, economic sabotage, and interpersonal resource loss were unique predictors). In addition, bootstrap mediation analyses showed that interpersonal resource loss partially mediated the relationship between psychological abuse and mental health outcomes. Together, these findings can be used to inform future interventions to promote the financial and psychological well-being of survivors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-425
Author(s):  
Yishan Shen ◽  
Eunjin Seo ◽  
Dorothy Clare Walt ◽  
Su Yeong Kim

This study focused on early adolescents’ stress of language brokering and examined the moderating role of family cumulative risk in the relation of language brokering to adjustment problems. Data came from self-reports of 604 low-income Mexican American adolescent language brokers (54% female; [Formula: see text]= 12.4; SD = 0.97; 75% born in the United States) and their parents (99% foreign-born) in central Texas. Path analyses revealed that brokering stress, but not frequency, was positively associated with adolescents’ adjustment problems, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and delinquency. We also found that the relation between stress of brokering for mothers and adolescents’ depressive symptoms was stronger among families with a high cumulative risk. Further, with a high cumulative risk, adolescents exhibited delinquent behaviors regardless of the levels of stress from translating for fathers. Current findings underscore the importance of examining family contexts in assessing the consequences of language brokering for Mexican American early adolescents’ well-being.


2019 ◽  
Vol 686 (1) ◽  
pp. 310-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Joseph Hotz ◽  
Matthew Wiswall

We analyze policies that support and affect the provision and costs of child care in the United States. These policies are motivated by at least three objectives: (1) improving the cognitive and social development of young children, (2) facilitating maternal employment, and (3) alleviating poverty. We summarize this policy landscape and the evidence on the effects they have on the development of children and parents. We provide a summary of the use and costs of nonparental child care services; and we summarize existing policies and programs that subsidize child care costs, provide child care to certain groups, and regulate various aspects of the services provided in the United States. We then review the evidence on the effects that child care policies have on these objectives. We go on to discuss the existing evidence of their effects on various outcomes. Finally, we outline three reform proposals that will both facilitate work by low-income mothers and improve the quality of child care that their children receive.


2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy L. Reschke ◽  
Margaret M. Manoogian ◽  
Leslie N. Richards ◽  
Susan K. Walker ◽  
Sharon B. Seiling

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Antiporta ◽  
Yuri L. Cutipé ◽  
Maria Mendoza ◽  
David D. Celentano ◽  
Elizabeth A. Stuart ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Population health and well-being in Latin America, the current epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been severely affected during the past semester. Despite the growing evidence about the link between the pandemic, its control measures, and mental health worldwide, there is still no regional evidence of the potential mental health impact. We describe the prevalence and distribution of depressive symptoms across demographic and socioeconomic risk factors in the Peruvian population amidst a national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Cross-sectional study conducted during the community transmission phase and national lockdown in Peru (May 4th–16th, 2020). We recorded 64,493 responses from adult Peruvian residents through an opt-in online questionnaire. All analyses were weighted using raking based on proportions of sociodemographic variables from the last Peruvian census in 2017. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was calculated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score of 10 or more. We identified associated demographic and socioeconomic factors by prior mental health diagnosis. Sensitivity analysis considered an alternative cut-off point for depressive symptoms of PHQ-9 ≥ 14. Results A total of 57,446 participants were included in the analytical sample. A third of the participants (n = 23,526, unweighted) showed depressive symptoms in the 2 weeks prior to the study. Participants who reported a previous mental health diagnosis doubled the sample prevalence of depressive symptoms (59, 95%CI 56.7, 61.4%) of those without a prior diagnosis. Psychosocial and functioning reactions were largely more prevalent among females and young adults. A dose-response relationship was found between household income and depressive symptoms across previous mental health diagnosis strata, being as low as 32% less in the wealthiest than the most impoverished group (PR: 0.68, 95%CI 0.58,0.79). Other critical factors associated with a higher burden of depressive symptoms were lower education level, single, unemployed, and chronic comorbidity. Conclusions An increased burden of depressive symptoms and psychosocial reactions has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru compared to previous years. The mental health burden disproportionately affects women, the younger population, and those with low income and education. As the country eases the social distancing measures, it is crucial to use local evidence to adjust public health policies and mental health services to the renewed population needs.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berhanu Boru Bifftu ◽  
Bewket Tadesse Tiruneh ◽  
Yonas Deressa Guracho ◽  
Berihun Assefa Dachew

Abstract Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. Co-morbid depression among individual with TB is common public health concern that adversely affect the psychological well being of the patient. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine the magnitude of depression and its associated factors among people with TB in Ethiopia. Methods: Databases including: PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, and HINARI were searched. Weighted inverse variance random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled prevalence of depression. The heterogeneity between studies was measured by the index of heterogeneity (I2 statistics) test. Funnel plots and Egger’s test were used to determine publication bias. Sensitivity test and subgroup analysis were also performed to identify influential study and to account for heterogeneity. Results: In this study, a total of 6430individuals with TB were included from 15 studies. The pooled prevalence of depression was 46% (95% CI; 40% -53%). Tests of heterogeneity was significant (I2= 96.33% and p <0.001). However, funnel plots and Egger’s test showed no evidence of publication bias. Being female, low income, substance use, perceived stigma, extra-pulmonary TB and treatment phase were factors associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusion: In Ethiopia, around half of the TB patients had depressive symptoms. Thus, authors’ suggest the need of mental health screening for people with TB particularly for substance users and socioeconomic disadvantage TB patients. Authors’ also suggest the needs of improving awareness of TB.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document