Paid work makes lone mothers less depressed, but state support for flexibility and access to childcare is crucial

By Nuffield Foundation

Lone mothers who work are less likely to suffer from depression than those who stay at home, according to new research published by the Nuffield Foundation today.

Depression among lone mothers in work fell from 32% to 23% between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s, but increased from 33% to 41% among those not in work.

There is now a positive association between mental health and work that did not exist in the mid-90s, when there was no difference in the rate of depression between lone mothers with jobs and those without. By 2008, the mental health of lone mothers in work had improved to such an extent that there was little difference between lone mothers and mothers in couples.

This change is related to a series of policies introduced in the late 1990s and early 2000s that made it easier for lone mothers to achieve a satisfactory balance between work and childcare, the most important factor in reducing the risk of depression. These policies included the introduction of tax credits, the extension of state support for childcare, and the New Deal for Lone Parents. The employment rate of lone mothers increased from 42% to 57% during this period.

The study was led by Dr Susan Harkness from the University of Bath, who used quantitative data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) to examine the changing relationship between work and mental health for lone mothers at two points in time, from 1993 to 1998, and from 2003 to 2008. She used the General Health Questionnaire to identify those at a high risk of depression, and interviews with lone mothers who had some experience of poor mental health, conducted by the charity Gingerbread.

Balancing work and childcare is the crucial factor

This positive association between work and improved mental health remained evident after accounting for other differences between working and non-working lone mothers such as age, age of children, and level of education.

Being able to achieve a satisfactory balance between work and childcare was the most important factor in reducing the risk of depression. This was more important than level of earnings, type of job, or career prospects.

Work provides a sense of identity and improved self-esteem for lone mothers, and these factors were equally, or more, important to mental health than the financial benefits of employment.

The mental health benefits of working were seen across different types of jobs. For example those working in sales and personal service occupations experienced similar gains to those in ‘professional’ occupations.

The fact that the improvements in mental health occurred under a supportive policy environment suggests that welfare reforms and policy incentives which merely increase the pressure on lone parents to move into any work, or to work longer hours, may risk pushing up the rate of maternal depression in the coming years.

Mothers in couples

For mothers in couples, there was no change in the relationship between work and mental health. Employment is associated with lower rates of depression in both periods, although the strength of the association is much weaker than that for lone mothers and overall rates of depression are lower.

Dr Harkness said:

“The positive association between employment and mental health suggests that work can have benefits for lone mothers beyond the purely financial. But the fact that this association is a relatively new one shows that simply having a job is not sufficient in itself to reduce the risk of depression. The important question is what has changed more broadly in our society over this time to enable both the increase in employment for lone mothers and the associated improvements in mental health.”

Teresa Williams, Director of Social Research and Policy at the Nuffield Foundation said:

“The improvement in mental health among lone mothers who work is good news, not least because we know that maternal depression is strongly associated with children’s cognitive and emotional well-being. But we don’t know whether it is sustainable. If political and economic changes since 2008 make it more difficult for lone mothers to balance work and home life then we may see a reversal of this trend. We also need to address the needs of those not in work, who have seen their mental well-being deteriorate over the same period.”

ENDS

Download Lone mothers, work and depression by Susan Harkness and Amy Skipp (PDF)

Contact: Frances Bright, Communications Manager, Nuffield Foundation on 020 7681 9586

1. Dr Susan Harkness is Reader in the Department of Social and Policy Studies at the University of Bath. For the duration of the project, Amy Skipp was the Research Officer at Gingerbread. She is now a qualitative Research Director in the Children and Young People Team at NatCen Social Research.

2.The Nuffield Foundation has funded this project but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.

3. Gingerbread is the national charity working with single parent families. It provides expert information and advice, along with membership and training opportunities, to single parents and their families, and campaigns against poverty, disadvantage and stigma to provide fair and equal treatment and opportunity for them.

Related


Explore our projects

New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Long-term outcomes of high-achieving disadvantaged children

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
Elderly woman and adult daughter out shopping
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Connecting pensions, health and care

View project
A group of neighbours walking outside in a green space

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Just neighbourhoods? Under-representation in UK community-led planning

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Long-term outcomes of high-achieving disadvantaged children

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
A group of neighbours walking outside in a green space

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Just neighbourhoods? Under-representation in UK community-led planning

View project
People looking at their mobile phones while waiting for job interview

Welfare | 2023 - 2024

Reliability and validity of crowdsourced workplace wellbeing data

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

The long-term effects of being a young carer

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

The long-term effects of being a young carer

View project
Elderly woman and adult daughter out shopping
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Connecting pensions, health and care

View project
Male and female apprentices looking at car engine
In progress

Education | 2022 - 2025

Work or study? Gender and the transition from school to work

View project
Mother, father, son and daughter standing in front of their house
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

A regional regeneration index to track socioeconomic ‘Levelling Up’

View project
Man working on a laptop using sign language on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2024

Designing inclusive remote and hybrid working to support disabled workers

View project
Children walking with their parents in the countryside
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Children’s lives in changing places

View project
Older man working from home on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

The impact of pension auto-enrolment and COVID-19 on saving behaviours

View project
Worried woman alone in a room, resting her head on her arms
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Links between cognitive impairment and exploitation in England

View project
A man working as a delivery driver sits in the driver's seat, checking his list on a tablet
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

Redesigning labour market policies for the future of work

View project
Older people drinking tea at a meeting at a community centre
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Using administrative data to understand community well-being

View project
Two cheerful farmers standing outside a farm building looking at a tablet
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Rural assets: policy and practice insights from the devolved nations

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Long-term outcomes of high-achieving disadvantaged children

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
A man driving a van at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The PAW Trial: feasibility and acceptability of the Pain-at-Work Toolkit

View project
Two older women swimming in their local pool
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The psychological, social and economic impact of musculoskeletal conditions

View project
Older woman using a tablet to make a video call
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Remote osteoarthritis peer-mentorship for socioeconomically underserved people

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Juvenile onset rheumatic diseases: education, vocational readiness, & employment

View project
Grandparents having fun outdoors with their granddaughter, who is eating an apple and laughing: Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero

View project
Father and son using laptop at home
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2024

Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children

View project
Close up of a young girl and her father wearing protective face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic outside.
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

The Economy 2030 Inquiry: navigating a decade of change

View project
Young boy draws and plays with a globe as part of nursery education
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2022

COVID-19 and childcare: local impacts across England

View project
Toddler-gleefully-eats-baked-beans-How-COVID-19-is-affecting-food-security-proj
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2021

How the COVID-19 crisis is affecting food security

View project
Teenage-girl-looks-at-smartphone-next-to-laptop-Growing-up-under-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 - 2022

Growing up under COVID-19

View project
Mother carrying daughter outside their home
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2022

COVID realities: families on low incomes during the pandemic

View project
Woman-looks-at-smartphone-screen-How-the-UK-public-gets-information-about-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2020

How the UK public gets information about COVID-19

View project
Woman-medical-professional-treats-patient-impact-MSK-conditions-outcomes-other-illnesses-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2022

The impact of musculoskeletal conditions on outcomes of other illnesses

View project
A middle-aged teacher sits at her desk and helps a female student with a problem in her textbook.
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 - 2020

Measuring the disadvantage attainment gap in 16-19 education

View project
Reported

Welfare | 2013 - 2017

IFS Green Budget 2013 – 2016

View project
Reported

Welfare | 2013 - 2016

Data about fathers in birth cohort studies (Life Study)

View project
Search projects

We improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We offer our grant-holders the freedom to frame questions and enable new thinking. Our research must stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny, but we understand that to be successful in effecting change, it also needs to be relevant to people’s experience.

Profile