A study of Perceived Stress and Parental Stress among single mothers in the Ahafo-Ano North and Shai-Osudoku Districts of Ghana.

Single parenthood is attended by a host of negative impacts on and stressful experiences on the part of custodial parents and the child(ren). Single parents find themselves under tremendous pressure as they deal with psychological, financial, and social challenges that partnered parents do not generally deal with (Whisenhunt et al., 2019). The elevated levels of stress and exhaustion among single parents, especially mothers, makes them more prone to physical and psychological distress and disorders than partnered mothers (Cairney et al., 2006; Lipman et al., 2001; Nkyi, 2013; Prayitno & Nastiti, 2023; Elena Rousou et al., 2019; Wade et al., 2011; Whisenhunt et al., 2019). Single mothers, more than their married counterparts, often find themselves grappling with poverty, behavioural challenges among children, and isolation resulting from reduced contact with their social network (Brady & Burroway, 2012; G. E. Kim et al., 2018; J. E. Kim et al., 2018; Kollmeyer, 2013; Kong et al., 2017; Subramaniam et al., 2014). These conditions may antecede fatigue, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, sleep apnea, depression, physical ailment, stress and burnout (Campbell et al., 2016; Collings et al., 2014; Shenoy et al., 2016). In general, the research evidence shows that single parents suffer circumstances that elevate their susceptibility to stress and conditions that antecede undesirable health problems, both mental and physical (Rousou et al., 2013). The ramifications of single motherhood on the development of children and on the welfare of society as a whole are potentially acute. However, single motherhood is largely understudied in Africa south of the Sahara despite that more families in this region are becoming single-mother situations. Furthermore, extant studies from sub-Saharan Africa have not given sufficient attention to stress and burnout among single mothers. In this proposed study, the researchers sought to measure stress among single mothers in two districts of Ghana, and to identify the factors that are closely associated with stress and burnout in that population, and to ascertain the coping strategies these mothers employ. Findings of this study may be beneficial for policy formulation and healthcare provision for single mothers.