Material hardship and mental health among low-income families during COVID-19: experimental evidence from an unconditional cash transfer

Experiencing material hardship may bring various negative consequences for married couples and family members. However, little is known about this topic in Korea. Using a nationally representative sample from the Korean Welfare Panel Study, we examined how material hardship was associated with marital well-being among low-income families in Korea, separately for husbands (i.e., male household heads) and wives. Overall, we found experiencing any material hardship was associated with lower levels of satisfaction of both family life and spousal relationship, consistently for husbands and wives. We also found depression and self-esteem partially mediated the associations in both groups. Furthermore, among individual items of material hardship, experiencing food hardship was associated with lower levels of satisfaction of family life for both husbands and wives, whereas experiencing problems with credit was associated with lower levels of satisfaction of both family life and spousal relationship for wives but not for husbands.

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Linking Low-Income Families to Children's Mental Health Services

Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders ◽

10.1177/106342669600400101 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 2-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Nancy M. Koroloff ◽

Debra J. Elliott ◽

Paul E. Koren ◽

Barbara J. Friesen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Low Income ◽

Children’S Mental Health ◽

Children's Mental Health ◽

Children's Mental Health Services ◽

Children’S Mental Health Services ◽

Low Income Families

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Does The Unconditional Cash Transfer Program in South Africa Provide Support for Women After Child Birth? Barriers To Accessing The Child Support Grant Among Women in Informal Work in Durban, South Africa

10.21203/rs.3.rs-871452/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Silondile Luthuli ◽

Lyn Haskins ◽

Sphindile Mapumulo ◽

Christiane Horwood

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Low Income ◽

Child Support ◽

Working Women ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Application Process ◽

Informal Workers ◽

Child Support Grant ◽

Unconditional Cash Transfer

Abstract Background The child support grant (CSG) is the largest unconditional cash transfer program in Africa and aims to alleviate poverty and improve child health and nutrition in low-income families in South Africa. Among informal working women, the CSG is an important source of income after childbirth when informal workers are unable to work, but reports suggest that women experience delays in accessing the CSG. We explore experiences and challenges accessing the CSG among informal workers in Durban, South Africa Methods We undertook a longitudinal mixed-methods cohort study. Women informal workers were recruited during pregnancy and followed-up for up to one year after the baby was born. Quantitative questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data about women’s plans for applying for the CSG, the application process, use of the CSG in the household, and household food insecurity. Interviews were conducted in IsiZulu by experienced researchers. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data used SPSS v26, and framework analysis using NVIVO v12.3 was used for qualitative analysis. Results Twenty-four informal working women were enrolled. The CSG received for older children was reported as an important and reliable source of income for mothers after childbirth. However, delays receiving the CSG for the new baby meant this support was unavailable to first-time mothers. The complex application process for the CSG required mothers to go to various government departments to complete the required documentation, often taking the baby with them. This was costly and time-consuming for mothers who were already vulnerable, and led to delays in obtaining CSG funds. Many women experienced moderate or severe food insecurity before and after the baby was born. As a result, some mothers had to return to work earlier than planned, disrupting childcare and breastfeeding. Conclusion Cash transfer programmes can effectively support low income households and improve outcomes for mothers and children. In South Africa there is a need for innovative approaches to streamline CSG applications, so women can access the funds immediately post-delivery to fill a resource gap and provide support at a vulnerable time for mothers and their children.

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Does the unconditional cash transfer program in South Africa provide support for women after child birth? Barriers to accessing the child support grant among women in informal work in Durban, South Africa

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-022-12503-7 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Silondile Luthuli ◽

Lyn Haskins ◽

Sphindile Mapumulo ◽

Christiane Horwood

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Low Income ◽

Child Support ◽

Working Women ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Application Process ◽

Informal Workers ◽

Child Support Grant ◽

Unconditional Cash Transfer

Abstract Background The child support grant (CSG) is the largest unconditional cash transfer program in Africa and aims to alleviate poverty and improve child health and nutrition in low-income families in South Africa. Among informal working women, the CSG is an important source of income after childbirth when informal workers are unable to work, but reports suggest that women experience delays in accessing the CSG. We explore experiences and challenges of accessing the CSG among informal workers in Durban, South Africa. Methods We undertook a longitudinal mixed-methods cohort study. Women informal workers were recruited during pregnancy and followed-up for up to one year after the baby was born. Quantitative questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data about women’s plans for applying for the CSG, the application process, use of the CSG in the household, and household food insecurity. Interviews were conducted in IsiZulu by experienced researchers. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data used SPSS v26, and framework analysis using NVIVO v12.3 was used for qualitative analysis. Results Twenty-four informal working women were enrolled. The CSG received for older children was reported as an important and reliable source of income for mothers after childbirth. However, delays receiving the CSG for the new baby meant this support was unavailable to first-time mothers. The complex application process for the CSG required mothers to travel to various government departments to complete the required documentation, often taking the baby with them. This was costly and time-consuming for mothers who were already vulnerable, and led to delays in obtaining CSG funds. Many women experienced moderate or severe food insecurity before and after the baby was born. As a result, some mothers had to return to work earlier than planned, disrupting childcare and breastfeeding. Conclusions Cash transfer programmes can effectively support low income households and improve outcomes for mothers and children. In South Africa there is a need for innovative approaches to streamline CSG applications, so women can access the funds immediately post-delivery to fill a resource gap and provide support at a vulnerable time for mothers and their children.

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