SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF MOTHERS LIVING IN THE CONTEXT OF SINGLE PARENT FAMILY: KÜÇÜKÇEKMECE CASE

This paper aims to reveal the social and psychological problems of women living in the context of a single-family. The data used in this study were compiled by face-to-face survey method using mothers within the scope of “Cankardeş Family Project”. Although the study included children, this article focused exclusively on mothers and their problems. The questionnaire, which was conducted on a total of 233 mothers, used questions and scales to measure mothers' social lifestyles and mental problems, including demographic data. The findings show that, contrary to expectations, most women do not experience social exclusion and receive moral support from their environment. The proportion of women who are excluded is limited to 20 percent. When evaluated in terms of psychological problems, it was found that women experienced psychological problems ranging from 4,8 to 17 percent. When the results of the regression analysis for predicting psychological problems are evaluated, mom’s worry about the future of their children (except for anger-hostility) and the idea that their neighbors and social environment exhibit a negative attitude because they are not their spouses (except somatization and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) psychological disorder. It is observed that they are risk factors that increase their symptoms. On the other hand, it has been determined that the increase of the household income level variable, increases interpersonal sensitivity symptoms, and the spouse loss duration in variable, decreases the index of depression, anger-hostility and discomfort severity.

Keywords

Single Parenting, Single Parent Family, Mothers as a Single Parent, Social And Psychological Proble