Family structure, social capital, and mental health disparities among Canadian mothers

Highlights

• We studied whether social capital influences single mothers' mental health.

• Social capital explained much but not all of single mothers' greater mental morbidity.

• Policies aimed at improving health in single mothers should consider marital history.

Abstract

Objectives

To examine the extent to which inequities in mental health between single and partnered mothers can be explained by social capital, independently and in concert with socio-economic circumstances.

Study design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

The sample consisted of 2920 mothers participating in Statistics Canada's 2010 General Social Survey. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the extent to which family structure differences in self-rated mental health, if observed, were mediated by various dimensions of social capital.

Results

Compared with partnered mothers, fair/poor self-rated mental health was more common among previously married mothers (OR = 3.14; 95% CI 2.15–4.59) and never married mothers (OR = 3.01; 95% CI 1.95–4.65). After adjustment for socio-economic and social capital variables, the odds ratio between single mother family structure and fair/poor mental health decreased but remained significant (OR_{previously married} = 1.90, 95% CI 1.22–2.98; OR_{never married} = 1.90, 95% CI 1.14–3.16).

Conclusion

Single mothers' more limited access to economic and social capital resources partially explain their compromised self-rated mental health. Longitudinal research with multi-item measures of mental health is needed to corroborate these findings and extend their understanding of the relationship between family structure, social capital, and mothers' mental health.

Introduction

Marked changes have occurred in the family structure of Canadians over the last thirty years, with the traditional two-parent family structure becoming much less prominent. Single parent families comprised 16.3% of all Canadian families in 2011, an increase of 8% since 2006 and nearly double the proportion reported in the early 1960s.¹ Of the approximately 1.5 million Canadian single parent families in 2011, the vast majority, approximately 80%, were headed by single mothers.

A considerable body of research has accumulated, both in Canada 2, 3 and in other Western countries,4, 5 indicating that single mothers experience poorer mental health than their partnered counterparts. Research has shown that much, but not all, of single mothers' elevated level of mental morbidity can be explained by their greater socio-economic hardships.6, 7 One of the more recent explanations posited to further assist in understanding differences in the mental health of single and partnered mothers involves the concept of social capital.⁸

Clear and consistent definitions of social capital are difficult to come across in the academic literature, although there appears to be agreement that social capital is a concept that is both multidimensional and complex.⁹ The epidemiological literature on social capital draws upon the work of several notable theorists, including Robert Putnam¹⁰ who defines social capital as ‘features of social organizations such as networks, norms and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit’. Although Putman's definition clearly positions social capital as a group resource, researchers have extended his work to the study of social capital at the individual level; that is, ‘the ability of actors to secure benefits by virtue of membership in social networks or other social structures’.¹¹ Different dimensions of social capital have also been recognized.¹² Cognitive social capital focuses on individuals' perceptions of trust, sense of belonging and beliefs of reciprocity. Structural social capital centres on individuals' behaviours, such as contact with family/friends, volunteering with community organizations, and political participation.

A growing body of research has linked higher levels of individual social capital, particularly the cognitive components, to reduced risks of psychological distress, major depression and common mental disorders.13, 14, 15 Although the precise mechanisms remain unclear, social capital has been suggested to enhance/protect mental health through multiple pathways such as decreasing individuals' exposure and/or vulnerability to psychosocial stressors, increasing the likelihood of adopting positive health-related social norms (e.g. regular physical activity), and increasing self-esteem and perceptions of self-efficacy. The positive association between social capital and mental well-being may be particularly pronounced among lower socio-economic groups.¹⁶

Some limited evidence suggests that mothers in single parent households may experience lower levels of social capital than those in coupled households, as measured by their network size, participation in formal organizations and trust in relation to family, community, and institutions.8, 17 Although the reasons for the link between family structure and social capital have not been fully elucidated, several researchers have speculated that single mothers' levels of social capital may be compromised due to having less time available than partnered mothers to develop and maintain social networks and participate in social activities and organizations. Further, as speculated by Ravanera and Rajulton,¹⁷ for previously partnered single mothers, ‘marital dissolution, often accompanied with acrimony and severance of ties with family members, possibly brings about breaking of ties with informal and formal networks and consequently decreases trust in people’.

Given research linking social capital with mental health outcomes in general population samples, and that connecting single mother family structure with both compromised mental health and possibly, lower social capital, it is reasonable to speculate that social capital may contribute to explaining single mothers' elevated mental health morbidity compared to partnered mothers. Therefore, using a nationally representative sample of Canadian mothers, the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which any observed inequities in mental health between single and partnered mothers can be explained by individual social capital, independently and in concert with socio-economic circumstances.