An Investigation of Psychological Well-Being among Single Mothers in Terengganu, Malaysia

Introduction

The Planned Parenthood Empowerment Plan (2015–2020) sets out three main goals to achieve for single mothers: i) raising awareness and commitment by stakeholders to strengthen the single-parent economy; ii) improving the social welfare of single mothers; and iii) enhancing research and development coordination for single mothers (Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, 2015). It is considered a comprehensive plan that considers maternal empowerment's economic and social aspects. Among the steps outlined to improve the economic status of single mothers are to increase their skills and knowledge of single mothers. It aims to venture into entrepreneurship, assist single mothers in obtaining financial assistance to build or grow their business, and help them market their products and services. Among the steps taken to improve the social well-being of single mothers are to raise awareness among single mothers and their family members about the importance of health care, prevention of illness, and self-care, and to increase their parenting knowledge by focusing on how to parent alone (KPWKM, 2015).

KPWKM (2015) considers single mothers based on several criteria, such as a woman who is the Head of the Household, a widow or divorced/permanently separated, and has unmarried children in the same household. A woman who is the Head of the Household but has a husband who is unwell and unable to work and has unmarried children in the same household; or a woman who is the Head of the Household and never married but has children (adopted or illegitimate child). The issue of well-being, especially the psychological well-being of single mothers, should not be overlooked. They also contribute to the increasing number of people needing help and support to continue living. This article will discuss the issues related to a single mother's psychological well-being, the challenges of being a single mother, and the kind of stress they face in their daily lives. Previous studies have shown that single mothers tend to take on more responsibilities for their families and children after being divorced or becoming a widow than before they were separated from their spouses. Divorced mothers tend to experience higher parenting pressure levels than those with partners (Cooper). In addition, the divorce factor, the death of a husband, is also considered a substantial psychological and social challenge for single mothers. However, studies on this aspect are still limited (Kari, 2017). In principle, single mothers will be economically, physically, emotionally, and mentally pressured. Previous studies have focused on the negative aspects of divorce. However, this study intends to investigate factors that could predict the psychological well-being of single mothers.