Family Structure Transitions and Changes in Maternal Resources and Well-Being

Cynthia Osborne, Lawrence Berger and Katherine Magnuson
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Cynthia Osborne: University of Texas
Lawrence Berger: University of Wisconsin
Katherine Magnuson: University of Wisconsin

No 1256, Working Papers from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.

Abstract: This paper uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study to examine whether family instability is associated with changes in perceived social support, material hardship, maternal depression, and parenting stress among mothers of young children. In addition to accounting for the number of transitions a mother experiences over the first five years of her child?s life, we pay close attention to the type and timing of these transitions. We find that mothers who transition to cohabitation or marriage with their child?s biological father experience declines in material hardship and that those who transition to cohabitation or marriage with another man exhibit modest declines in both material hardship and depression. Mothers who exit cohabiting or marital relationships encounter decreases in perceived social support and increases in material hardship, depression, and parenting stress. Overall, our results suggest that both the type and, to a much lesser degree, the timing of family structure transitions may influence maternal well-being.

Keywords: material hardship; motherhood; depression; social support; stress; family structure; Father involvement; fragile families; longitudinal data; well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I00 I32 J12 J13 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-05
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pri:crcwel:wp10-09-ff.pdf

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