Mental Health, Welfare Reliance, and Lone Motherhood
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
26 March 2013
Abstract
This paper explores the life circumstances and mental health experiences of welfare-reliant lone mothers, utilizing data from the Lone Mothers: Building Social Inclusion project, a Canada-wide research program. On the basis of qualitative interviews conducted with 43 welfare-reliant lone mothers living in Toronto, Ontario, we examine the conditions of their lives and the ways in which mental health, poverty, and single motherhood intersect. These intersections reveal the problematic nature of the traditional mental health system's response to these women. Required is a broader understanding of the ways that impoverished lone mothers’ mental health is structurally situated, and requires population-based rather than individualized responses.
Résumé
Cet article examine les situations et le vécu par rapport à la santé mentale des mères seules bénéficiaires d'aide sociale. Des données provenant d'un programme de recherche pancanadien, Lone Mothers: Building Social Inclusion, sont utilisées. Sur la base d'entrevues qualitatives avec 43 mères seules bénéficiaires d'aide sociale habitant Toronto (en Ontario), nous examinons les conditions de leurs vies et les interactions entre la santé mentale, la pauvreté et le fait d’être mère seule. Ces interactions revèlent les problèmes que suscitent la réponse à ces femmes de la part du réseau traditionnel de la santé mentale. Il faudrait mieux comprendre les façons dont la santé mentale des mères seules appauvries se situe dans les structures sociales, et la nécessité des interventions davantage au niveau de la population qu'au niveau de l'individu.
Formats available
You can view the full content in the following formats:
References
Bashevkin, S. (2002). Welfare hot buttons: Women, work, and social policy reform. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Bezanson K. (2006). Gender, the state and social reproduction: Household insecurity in neoliberal times. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Breitkreuz R.S. Engendering citizenship? A critical feminist analysis of Canadian welfare-to-work policies and the employment experiences of lone mothers Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare 2005 32 2 147 -165
Caragata L. Globalization and the social and economic marginalization of women and families International Sociology 2003 18 3 559 -580
Caragata, L. (2008a). Lone mothers: Policy responses to build social inclusion. In M. Cohen & J. Pulkingham (Eds.), Public policy for women in Canada: The state, income security, and labour market issues (pp. 162-183). Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Caragata L. Lone mothers and the politics of care Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering 2008b 10 1 66 -81
Children's Aid Society of Toronto and the Centre for Urban and Community Studies. (2001). Housing and child welfare. Toronto, ON: Author.
Coiro M. Depressive symptoms among women receiving welfare Women & Health 2001 32 1 1 -23
Conference Board of Canada. (2007). How Canada performs, society: Gender income gap. Ottawa, ON: Author.
Crosier T., Butterworth P., and Rodgers B. Mental health problems among single and partnered mothers: The role of financial hardship and social support Sociology, Psychiatry, and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2007 42 6 -13
Denton M., Prus S., and Walters V. Gender differences in health: A Canadian study of the psychosocial, structural and behavioural determinants of health Social Science and Medicine 2004 58 2585 -2600
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health. (1999, September). Toward a healthy future: Second report on the health of Canadians. Ottawa, ON: Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada. Retrieved August 17, 2011, from http://www.injuryresearch.bc.ca/admin/DocUpload/3_20061214_101307toward_a_healthy_english.pdf
Finnie, R., & Irvine, I. (2008). The welfare enigma: Explaining the dramatic decline in Canadians’ use of social assistance 1993–2005. Toronto, ON: C.D. Howe Institute.
Froehlich J. Steps for dismantling poverty for working, poor women Work 2005 24 401 -408
Herrman, H., Saxena, S. & Moodie, R. (Eds.). (2005). Promoting mental health: Concepts, emerging evidence, practice: A report of the World Health Organization, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in collaboration with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and the University of Melbourne. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/MH_Promotion_Book.pdf
Korteweg A. The construction of gendered citizenship at the welfare office Social Politics: International Studies in Gender State and Society 2006 13 3 313 -340
Krane J. and Davies L. Mothering and child protection practice: Rethinking risk assessment Child and Family Social Work 2000 5 1 35 -45
Lewis J. The decline of the male breadwinner model: The implications for work and care Social Politics 2001 8 2 152 -170
McCormack K. Resisting the welfare mother: The power of welfare discourse and tactics of resistance Critical Sociology 2004 30 2 355 -383
McIntyre, L., & Tarasuk, V. (2002). Food security as a determinant of health. Retrieved from the Population Health website, Public Health Agency of Canada, www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/oi-ar/08.
McMullin J., Davies L., and Cassidy G. Welfare reform in Ontario: Tough times in mothers’ lives Canadian Public Policy 2002 28 2 297 -313
Orloff, A. (2001). Ending the entitlements of poor single mothers: Changing social policies, women's employment, and caregiving in the contemporary United States. In N. Herschman & U. Liebert (Eds.), Women and welfare: Theory and practice in the United States and Europe (pp. 133-159). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Orloff, A. (2006). From maternalism to “employment for all”: State policies to promote women's employment across the affluent democracies. In J. Levy (Ed.), The state after statism: New state activities in the age of liberalization (pp. 230-270). Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.
Peck, J. (2005). Workfare states. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Peden A., Rayens M., Hall L., and Grant E. Negative thinking and the mental health of low-income single mothers Journal of Nursing Scholarship 2004 36 4 337 -344
Polakoff E. and Gregory D. Concepts of health and women's struggles for wholeness in the midst of poverty Health Care for Women International 2002 23 835 -845
Population Health Development Division. (1998). Taking action on population health: A position paper for health promotion and programs branch staff. Ottawa, ON: Health Canada, Health Promotions and Programs Branch. Retrieved August 17, 2011, from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/pdf/tad-eng.pdf.
Samuels-Dennis J. Employment status, depressive symptoms, and the mediating/moderating effects of single mothers’ coping repertoire Public Health Nursing 2007 24 6 491 -502
Sceviour R. and Finnie R. Social assistance use: Trends in incidence, entry and exit rates Canadian Economic Observer 2004 17 8 3.1 -3.13 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-010-x/11-010-x2004008-eng.pdf
Siefert K., Heflin C., Corcoran M., and Williams D. Food insufficiency and the physical and mental health of low-income women Women & Health 2001 32 1 159 -177
Sorensen A. Women's economic risk and the economic position of single mothers European Sociological Review 1994 10 2 173 -188
Statistics Canada (2007). Census families by number of children at home, by province and territory (2006 Census). Retrieved on February 23, 2013, from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil50aeng.htm
Subramanian S., Belli P., and Kawachi I. The macroeconomic determinants of health Annual Review of Public Health 2002 23 287 -302
Wanless D., Mitchell B., and Wister A. Social determinants of health of older women in Canada: Does rural and urban residency matter? Canadian Journal on Aging 2010 29 2 233 -247
Wilkinson R. and Pickett K. Income inequality and population health: A review and explanation of the evidence Social Science and Medicine 2005 62 1768 -1784
World Health Organization. (2001). The world health report 2001. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
Zabkiewicz D. The mental health benefits of employment: Do they apply to poor single mothers? Journal of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2010 45 77 -87
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 32 • Number 1 • March 2013
Pages: 95 - 107
History
Version of record online: 26 March 2013
Key Words
Mots-clés
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Other Metrics
Citations
Cite As
CaragataLea and LiegghioMaria. 2013. Mental Health, Welfare Reliance, and Lone Motherhood. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
32(1): 95-107. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2013-008
Export Citations
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
There are no citations for this item
View Options
View options
Get Access
Login options
Check if you access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.
Subscribe
Click on the button below to subscribe to Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
