Going to work significantly improves the psychological well-being of single mothers
A sociological study has shown that despite the challenges of combining motherhood and full-time employment, going to work has a positive impact on health and well-being, especially for single mothers.German researchers examined long-term socioeconomic monitoring data from households in Germany. The analysis showed that the well-being and health of mothers improves when they enter paid employment. This effect is particularly strong for women raising children without a partner.
For the analysis, the researchers used data from 1992 to 2016 from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). This is a long-term study of German households on many different parameters relating to social, demographics, employment and economic well-being.
The study found that going to work has a significant positive effect on psychological well-being and self-rated health among mothers, whether they are in a couple or raising children on their own. Particularly strong changes are observed in single mothers. In doing so, the analysis showed that while gaining financial independence and improved family well-being played an important role in improving well-being, it was not the only reason for the observed changes.
"We hypothesize that a greater sense of financial independence from former partners or from welfare benefits and additional social connections contributes to maternal well-being. Thus, paid work strengthens her social identity and self-esteem," Mina Kühn, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research and co-author of the study.
The researchers also pointed out that the burden on mothers with very young children is very high. Most of them have serious problems balancing daily life, family and work. They believe that this category of women should receive special attention in terms of public support (financial and non-material).