International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-8 Issue-2S10, September 2019 48 Retrieval Number: B10070982S1019/2019©BEIESP DOI:10.35940/ijrte.B1007.0982S1019 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering & Sciences Publication Life Challenges and Mental Health Issues of Single Mothers: A Systematic Examination Siti Marziah Zakaria, Nor Hazila Mat Lazim, Suzana Mohd. Hoesni 1 Abstract: As the number of single mothers worldwide increases, their challenges and health issues were discussed in the previous literature. This systematic analysis aims to reveal mental health problems of single-mothers and discuss the adversities faced by them. Financial hardship was seemingly the most significant problem among the low incomes, unemployed and poor single mothers, which showed that poverty and mental health problems were inextricably related. Several factors were found in this study, which has led the single mothers to poverty, such as low- income employment, large numbers of self-employment, unemployed, low education level, lack of adequate skills and age factor. In addition to that, numerous lines of research have indicated that low social support from the surrounding area was the factor of the distress of single mothers. Previous studies showed that single mothers use negative coping strategies, for example, consuming drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and anti- depressants to alleviate the effects of stressful life. These coping strategies were found to be harmful to their physical and mental health. Therefore, suggestions and recommendations are provided to improve the lives of single mothers and their children to accomplish quality of life. Index Terms: Mental Health, Single Mother, Systematic Analysis, Well-Being I. INTRODUCTION OverT theT lastT fewT decades,T familyT patternsT haveT changedT andT theT numberT ofT single-parentT householdsT aroundT theT globeT wasT increasing,T mainlyT ledT byT women.T AccordingT toT theT census,T theT totalT numberT ofT peopleT withT depressionT wasT estimatedT toT exceedT 300T millionT inT 2015,T equivalentT toT 4.4%T ofT theT worldT populationT [1].T Meanwhile,T byT 2020,T depressionT aloneT wasT predictedT toT beT theT secondT highestT causeT ofT diseaseT loadT worldwideT withT (5.1%)T ofT womenT thatT wereT moreT likelyT toT experienceT mentalT healthT problemsT thanT menT withT (3.6%)T [1][3].T InT additionT toT that,T studiesT haveT provenT thatT manyT ofT theseT womenT wereT mothersT [4]. SingleT mothersT referT toT aT personT whoT isT widowed,T singleT unwedT mothers,T separatedT orT divorced,T andT unmarriedT womenT whoT adoptedT childrenT [5][6].T However,T theT definitionT ofT singleT mothersT hasT beenT developedT toT includeT aT womanT Revised Manuscript Received on September 25, 2019 Siti Marziah Zakaria, Centre of Psychology and Human Development, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Malaysia. Nor Hazila Mat Lazim, Faculty of Language and Linguistics, University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Suzana Mohd Hoesni, Centre of Psychology and Human Development, UKM, Bangi, Malaysia. whoT isT theT breadwinnerT andT caregiverT inT theT familyT dueT toT husbandT illT health,T disabilityT orT substanceT andT alcoholT misuse,T followedT byT aT womanT abandonedT byT herT husbandT andT isT takingT careT ofT theT childrenT withoutT theT supportT fromT theT husband,T aT womanT inT theT divorceT processT inT whichT theT husbandT didT notT provideT theT financialT helpT andT otherT formsT ofT supportT forT theirT childrenT andT lastly,T aT womanT whoT isT takingT careT ofT otherT people’sT childrenT withoutT theT supportT fromT theT husbandT [7]T [8].T TheseT singleT mothersT wereT categorizedT asT aT vulnerableT groupT thatT wereT atT riskT ofT poorT physicalT healthT suchT as,T debilitatingT chronicT illness,T poorT mentalT andT socialT healthT withT fewT supportiveT socialT contexts.T BasedT onT theT povertyT dimensionT inT Malaysia,T singleT mothersT wereT classifiedT asT poor,T includingT theT indigenousT peopleT andT minorityT groups,T agriculturalT workers,T particularlyT challengedT peopleT andT theT elderlyT [9]T andT theirT statusT andT functionT wereT profoundlyT similarT toT theT restT ofT theT populationT [10].T Thus,T thisT systematicT reviewT aimsT to:T a)T exploringT lifeT challengesT facedT byT singleT mothersT b)T identifyT mentalT healthT issuesT amongT single-mothersT worldwide,T andT c)T evaluatingT availableT supportT systemsT forT singleT mothers. II. METHOD ThisT articleT employsT systematicT reviewT toT analyzeT findingsT ofT pastT researchT onT mentalT healthT issuesT amongT singleT mothers.T ItT willT provideT anT overviewT ofT theT findingsT andT identifyT anyT remainingT gapsT inT knowledge.T AT comprehensiveT searchT hasT beenT conductedT toT findT relevantT articles.T KeywordsT usedT are:T singleT mother,T mentalT healthT issues,T challengesT andT supportT systems.T TheT articlesT areT basedT onT researchT inT psychologyT andT socialT workT whichT employsT quantitativeT design.T AT numberT ofT fiftyT articlesT haveT beenT accumulatedT andT analyzed.T Eventually,T thisT paperT managedT toT citeT 41T articlesT fromT 50T collectedT articles.T TheT sample,T methodology,T analysis,T andT findingsT ofT researchT haveT beenT examinedT andT summarized.T TheT inclusionT criteriaT forT theT articlesT toT beT selectedT are:T articlesT publishedT inT 2000-2018,T refereedT andT indexedT articlesT only,T theT sampleT mustT beT singleT mothers,T andT theT samplingT