The contribution of personal resources to mental health and personal growth in the transition to motherhood - A comparison between single mothers by choice and mothers with a spouse

Introduction: The number of women who choose to become mothers without a parenting partner has risen drastically in recent decades in Western society. These women are usually in their late thirties and early forties, and belong to moderate-high socio-economic class. The current study aimed to examine mental health and personal growth among these women in the unique and sensitive period of the transition to motherhood. The study is based on the premises of positive psychology, specifically on Schaefer & Moos’s (1992) model of personal growth. According to this model, personal resources contribute to adaptation and the development of stress-related growth. The resources examined in this study include: attachment orientation, resilience and perceived social support. Previous studies have found that these resources contribute to positive outcomes in stressful situations, though, to the best of our knowledge, these resources have not been examined in this unique population, in the context of the transition to parenthood

Methods:  A convenience sample of 152 first-time mothers aged 28-48, with children under the age of two, participated in this study. Half of the women were single mothers by choice and half were partnered mothers. Participants completed a series of structured, self-report questionnaires, including scales measuring attachment orientation, resilience, perceived social support, mental health and personal growth.

Results: The findings indicate that single mothers by choice report better mental health and higher levels of personal growth, and lower social support from significant others as compared to partnered mothers. Additionally, among all study participants, higher levels of attachment anxiety were associated with poorer mental health, while higher social support was associated with better mental health. When examining the unique and combined contribution of the study variables, higher resilience, lower attachment avoidance and greater social support contributed to mental health. Older age, better economic status, greater support from significant others and belonging to the study group of single mothers by choice all contributed to personal growth.

Conclusions: The importance of this study lies, firstly, in broadening the theoretical knowledge about the population of single mothers by choice, examining their strengths and the positive implications of their choice. Secondly, most previous studies about single mothers by choice were qualitative studies, thus limiting the generalizability of their findings. The current study used a quantitative approach. Finally, the findings of this study can assist in developing therapeutic interventions targeted at single mothers by choice facing the complex transition to motherhood.