Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89958/1/living_arrangements_and_social_support.pd

Bybee, Deborah I.

Goodkind, Sara

Hollingsworth, Leslie Doty

Mowbray, Carol T.

Oyserman, Daphna

This article examines the effects of living arrangements on the well-being of mothers with a serious mental illness. Analyses of data from a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study of an urban, primarily African American sample of 379 mothers with mental illness revealed few differences in parenting or social functioning between mothers living with their children and a spouse or partner and those living with their children only. However, mothers living with their children and extended family had significantly better outcomes than women in the other two living arrangements. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that living with relatives significantly related to mothers &apos; well-being (social functioning and parenting) above and beyond relatives &apos; provision of social support. Multilevel modeling revealed racial differences in the effects of living with relatives on functioning and parenting stress: Effects were positive for African American mothers but mixed for white American mothers. KEY WORDS: extended family; mental illness; mothers; psychiatric disabilities; social support Motherhood is an important role for manywomen—one associated with numerousrewards and positive experiences, as well as arduous responsibilities and stresses,in that moth-ers often maintain the primary responsibility for their children {Larson &amp; Richards, 1994). How-ever, fathers and other relarives can and do play significant roles in children&apos;s lives and in alleviating mothers &apos; duties and pressures. Indeed, living arrange-ments and marital status are key predictors of moth-ers &apos; well-being, with many studies concluding that married mothers are better off than their singl

Carol T. Mowbray

Deborah Bybee

Leslie Hollingsworth

Sara Goodkind

Daphna Oyserman

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Living arrangements and social support: Effects on the well-being of mothers with mental illness

Deep Blue Documents at the University of Michigan

Living Arrangements and Social Support: Effects on the Well-Being of Mothers with Mental Illness

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/89958/living_arrangements_and_social_support.pdf%3Bjsessionid%3D47215103A7342F867AD0E924E9ED794C?sequence%3D1

Living Arrangements and Social Support: Effects on the Well-Being of Mothers with Mental Illness

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