Ushie, Michael Anake, Egidi, Stephen Achuen, Ushie, Christiana Aloye, Enamhe, Dorn Claimz
Abstract
The paper examines: Single parenting and spousal mental health: A Demographic approach. Single parenting is an aspect of parenting where the father or mother is practicing and taking responsibility of nurturing children in the absence of another parent. In every society, family is the key nucleus of the society. Parents are the principal actors in the development of family. Parents are life companion to their children, especially at the formative stage of the child. Single parent families have been on the increase globally which some schools of thought have linked the growing rate of single parenting to stress and falling economy. The effects of mental health on the parents manifest in forms of anxiety disorders, panic disorders, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance abuse and other psychotropic intake. The implications of single parenting affects the spouses and the children of the union. In most cases, the affected individual in single parenting are the children. The paper adopts attachment theory as a framework to the study. Based on the study, the following recommendations were reached: To promote family stability, governments of developing countries should establish Family Endowment Fund to support low income household. Spouses should develop skills and sustainable income to meet the basic needs of the family. Parents of single status should engage in savings such as local contribution, this will help the family to satisfy the required needs of family.