Problems encountered by the single working mother

Abstract

Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe, in their table of Life Change Units, list death of a spouse, divorce and marital separation as the most stressful life events to be encountered by an individual. They receive ratings of 100, 73 and 65, respectively. Any one of these life changes could trigger other life changes so that, in addition to coping with the problems of bereavement or a broken marriage, there are other life changes which could raise the total score.

Holmes and his researchers found that once an individual ‘earns’ 200 or more points in a single year, there is at least a 50:50 chance of a fairly serious breakdown in health in the following year, If the score rises to 300 or more points in a year this risk factor is increased to 75-80%.

In addition to the life changes involved in becoming a single parent there are high physical demands which are imposed by the dual responsibilities of running a home and managing a job and even the most resilient woman has to perform a very delicate balancing act to avoid becoming the victim of stress-related illness.

This article looks at the Holmes and Rahe Rating Scale in relation to the emotional, behavioural and physiological reactions to stress. It offers advice, both to the individual involved and to the employer, on what positive steps can be taken to combat the effects of this particularly stressful lifestyle.