Different Challenges, Different Well-Being: A Comparison of Psychological Well-Being Across Stepmothers and Biological Mothers and Across Four Categories of Stepmothers

Abstract

Although previous research has indicated stepfamilies experience poorer mental well-being than biological families, it has focused primarily on stepfather-led families. In contrast, this study focuses on the well-being of stepmothers. It is also the first to compare well-being across all combinations of residential, nonresidential, simple, and complex stepfamilies and to measure anxiety and depression as indicators of stepmother well-being. Participants were 333 biological mothers and stepmothers. Among the results, in comparison to biological mothers, full complex and part simple stepmothers reported significantly higher mean levels of, respectively, depression and anxiety. Results also suggest that, for biological mothers but not for stepmothers, having a long-term partner might be a buffer against anxiety and depression.

Keywords:

• anxiety
• depression
• full complex
• full simple
• part complex
• part simple
• stepfamilies
• stepmothers
• well-being