A community based study of unmarried & married mothers

  • K. McDonnell
  • M. Fitzgerald
  • T. Kinsella
Article
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Abstract

THIS study examined a group of 50 unmarried mothers, living in an urban underprivileged area in Ireland, under the headings of: demographic details, background factors, material and social supports, the prevalence of psychiatric disturbance, and how they perceived their babies. The findings were then compared with those of a control group of 53 married mothers from the same community.

Difficulties encountered by both groups were very high levels of unemployment, financial difficulties and a high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity. There was also a high incidence of single pregnancies in the families of both groups. Significant differences between the unmarried and married groups of mothers lay in the areas of: inadequate accommodation, desire to conceive at the time of conception and paternal interest in the pregnancy.

The group of single mothers living alone emerged as a particularly vulnerable group, specifically in the areas of finances, social contact and psychiatric disturbance.

Keywords

Single Mother General Health Questionnaire Psychiatric Morbidity Family Planning Method Married Mother 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer 1988

Authors and Affiliations

  • K. McDonnell
    • 1
  • M. Fitzgerald
    • 1
  • T. Kinsella
    • 1
  1. 1.St. Loman’s Hospital, PalmerstownDublin 20

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