Using data from an ongoing study of 93 single Black mothers of preschoolers who had been welfare recipients, but were employed in low-wage jobs at baseline, this study tests a model of how maternal education, economic conditions (earnings and financial strain), and the availability of instrumental support influence maternal psychological functioning, parenting, and child development. Results indicate that maternal educational attainment was positively associated with earnings, which, together with instrumental support, were negatively associated with financial strain. Financial strain, in turn, was implicated in elevated levels of depressive symptoms, which were directly and negatively implicated in parenting quality. The quality of parenting was associated with children's behavior problems and preschool ability. Specifically, mothers with higher scores on the HOME scale, our measure of involved, supportive parenting, had children with fewer behavior problems and better preschool ability.
This study explores the relations among perceived self-efficacy, social support, children's behaviors, and maternal parenting in a sample of 188 single Black mothers of a preschoolage child, employed and nonemployed, who also were current and former welfare recipients in New York City. Using multiple regression techniques, a positive relationship was found between child behavior problems and parenting stress; being nonemployed, lower self-efficacy, and less social support from friends were marginally significant predictors. Fewer child behavior problems and higher maternal educational attainment were significant predictors of more supportive, involved parenting. A marginally significant positive interaction between self-efficacy and child behavior problems indicated that self-efficacy buffered the effect of behavior problems on maternal parenting behavior.
Using a sample of 188 low-income single black mothers (93 employed and 95 nonemployed), this study investigated financial strain, maternal depressive affect, and parenting stress among former welfare recipients who are now working, and current welfare recipients who are not employed. The findings suggested that being employed did not reduce financial strain, as the two groups reported similar levels of strain. However, regression analyses indicated that not being employed was associated with reporting higher levels of stress. Parenting stress was also associated with attaining less education, having boys, reporting more financial strain and depressive affect. Correlates of maternal depressive affect were mother's education and financial strain. Interaction effects were found for employment by financial strain, indicating that higher levels of depressive affect were related to more financial strain among nonemployed mothers. The findings suggest that although employment is associated with better mental health for poor mothers, entry into the workforce is associated with stronger links between financial strain, parenting stress and depressive affect for mothers leaving welfare.
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