Maternal Stress and Family Constitution: Comparative Study on Chilean, Single-Mother and Nuclear, Low-Income Families

Abstract

Studies on maternal stress during child raising have taken into consideration contextual variables to explain it. The socioeconomic level, as well as the family constitution have been relevant variables, associating single-parenting in low-income families with greater levels of maternal stress. Maternal stress levels in Chilean, nuclear and single-mother low income families are studied, considering stress in various dimensions, associated to the maternal role, to the mother-child interaction and to the difficulties the mother perceives in the child. 169 Dyads are studied, 80 of them of single-mother families and the other 89 of nuclear families, with children between the ages of 4 to 15 months. Maternal stress levels were measured with the Parental Stress Index, abbreviated version, developed by R. Abidin (1995). The results show significantly higher stress levels in mothers of single-parent families on stress associated to the maternal role, to the perception of a difficult child, and to total stress.