Contributors to Depressed Mood in Black Single Mothers

Abstract

Participants: A convenience sample of 210 community dwelling Black single mothers ages 18 to 45, who reside in U.S. urban communities.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed. Participants responded to an open-ended question that asked about reasons for depressed mood. A directed approach to content analysis was used to categorize the responses based on existing theoretical formulations and empirical findings about the causes of depression in women. Percentages and frequencies were used to describe the results of the analysis.

Findings: A total of 319 usable responses were provided. Collectively and individually the most frequent responses were consistent with Social/Environmental factors such as lack of financial resources (n = 115; 36.05%), followed by Psychological factors such as general cognitive/emotional feelings of stress (n = 60; 18.81%), and parenting stressors or daily hassles (n = 40; 12.54%). Physiologic factors such as a having physiologic or medical conditions were reported less often (n = 14; 4.39%).

Conclusions/Implications: Social/Environmental and Psychological factors contribute to depressed mood more often than Physiological factors in Black single mothers. Depression prevention efforts should target the social determinants of mental health in Black single mothers who should be connected with appropriate financial, psychological, educational and social service resources in the community.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of Adela Yarcheski, PhD, FAAN, Elsie E. Gulick, PhD, FAAN, Maureen Esteves, PhD, RN (Posthumously), and Noreen E. Mahon, PhD, FAAN in the conduct of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/New Jersey Nursing Initiative, the Dorothy J. DeMaio Research Award, and the Kirby Foundation Scholarship Award. These organizations provided financial support for my doctoral education but did not provide direct financial support for this study. These sources did not offer any financial support for the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.