Social support, happiness, work–family conflict, and state anxiety among single mothers during the covid-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Israel, imposing social isolation and economic uncertainty. This study focuses on single mothers by choice (SMBC), a unique population lacking partner support, to examine the relationships between state anxiety (SA), social support, work–family conflict (WFC), and happiness during Israel's first lockdown. Existing literature highlights the association between SA and WFC, happiness, and social support. However, research specifically addressing SMBC during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating how these factors interact to influence SA among SMBC in Israel, a population largely unexamined in this context. The study aims to contribute to understanding SMBC experiences during crises, the role of social support, and the effectiveness of various support services.

The literature review examines existing research on the impact of COVID-19 on various aspects of life, particularly concerning family structures. It explores the evolution of family models beyond the traditional structure, considering sociocultural and technological influences. The unique characteristics of SMBC, such as their decision to raise children without a partner, their demographic profiles (often older, financially stable, and academically accomplished), and their reliance on social support networks are discussed. The review delves into the concept of social support, its various dimensions (emotional, instrumental, formal, informal), and its established negative correlation with stress and mental distress. Previous research comparing SMBC and married mothers reveals differences in social support networks and overall well-being. The literature also addresses state anxiety, its multifaceted nature, and its connection to happiness and WFC. Studies focusing on WFC generally involve married couples or working mothers, with less attention to the specific experiences of SMBC during crises. The review identifies a gap in the literature regarding the combined influence of social support, WFC, and happiness on SA among SMBC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study employed a snowball sampling method to recruit 386 SMBC in Israel. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing state anxiety using the State-Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger et al., 1983), perceived social support using the Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimmet et al., 1988), family support and significant other support using custom-made indices, formal support seeking via a newly developed measure, happiness using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (Hills and Argyle, 2002), and work–family conflict using a modified version of Gutek et al.'s (1991) measure. Demographic data including age, education, income, employment status, and organizational rank were also collected. Pearson correlation analysis examined the relationships between variables, and stepwise regression analysis determined the predictive power of various factors on state anxiety. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the reliability of the scales used, with values generally above 0.80.

The findings reveal a significant negative correlation between state anxiety and income (r = -0.12, p < 0.05), indicating that lower income is associated with higher anxiety levels. No significant correlations were found between anxiety and age, education, organizational rank, or sector. A significant negative correlation existed between state anxiety and happiness (r = -0.58, p < 0.01), suggesting that higher happiness is associated with lower anxiety. A significant positive correlation was found between state anxiety and work–family conflict (r = 0.42, p < 0.01), indicating that higher levels of WFC are associated with higher anxiety. A significant negative correlation also emerged between overall social support and state anxiety (r = -0.35, p < 0.01), with similar negative correlations for support from friends, family, and significant others. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that happiness explained 34% of the variance in state anxiety, followed by work–family conflict (adding 3%), maternal age, and family support. Other variables, such as the number of children or support from friends, did not significantly contribute to the model.

The findings indicate that happiness is the strongest predictor of state anxiety among SMBC during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of well-being in mitigating stress and anxiety. The significant positive correlation between WFC and SA underscores the challenges faced by SMBC in balancing work and family responsibilities, particularly in the absence of partner support. The negative correlation between social support and SA confirms the protective role of social networks in buffering against stress and anxiety during challenging times. The relatively limited influence of demographic variables suggests that the experiences of SMBC during the pandemic were shaped more by emotional and interpersonal factors than solely by socioeconomic status or employment characteristics. The study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between happiness, WFC, social support, and SA among SMBC during a period of significant societal disruption.

This study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing state anxiety among SMBC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Happiness emerged as the strongest predictor of anxiety, highlighting the crucial role of positive well-being. Work–family conflict and social support also played significant roles. The findings have implications for the development of targeted support services for SMBC, emphasizing the importance of promoting happiness and providing both formal and informal social support mechanisms. Future research could explore longitudinal data, compare SMBC with mothers in relationships, examine international variations, and develop validated measures for this specific population.

The study relied on self-reported data collected at a single time point during the initial lockdown, limiting the ability to assess changes over time. The snowball sampling method may have introduced sampling bias, affecting the generalizability of the findings. The lack of a validated measure for formal support seeking also limits the interpretation of results related to this aspect of social support. Future research should utilize longitudinal designs, probabilistic sampling techniques, and validated measures of formal social support to overcome these limitations.