PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AMONG LOW INCOME SINGLE MOTHERS

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): The major aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and co-morbidity of psychiatric disorders, physical disabilities, and domestic violence among low income single mothers, and to examine the relationship of these problems to unemployment and dependency on welfare. We will randomly sample and interview 500 single-mothers receiving welfare and a comparison group of 500 single mothers not receiving welfare from the same neighborhoods in the three-county Detroit metropolitan area. Psychiatric diagnoses will be determined using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), a state of the art fully structured psychiatric diagnostic interview designed to be used by trained interviewers who are not clinicians. Domestic violence will be measured by an expanded Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979), the most widely used measure of family violence. Functional health limitations will be measured using the SF-36 Health Survey (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992) which measures health dimensions including physical and social functioning, mental well-being, and self-perceived general health status. We will also collect extensive data on work history, welfare receipt, and work readiness. We will report prevalence of these disorders, and their socio-demographic correlates. We will develop multivariate models of the impact of psychiatric disorders, physical health disabilities and domestic violence on welfare status and employment. This study will enhance the mission of the Social Work Research Development Center on Poverty, Risk and Mental Health by gathering important data on the mental health and other needs of low income single mothers and providing important information for subsequent development of interventions to enhance the well-being and reduce the risk of poverty for this population.