The Psychosocial Well-Being of Black and White Mothers Following Marital Dissolution: A Brief Report of a Follow-Up Study
Patrick, C. McKenry; Mary, W. McKelvey
Psychology of Women Quarterly 27(1): 31-36
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0361-6843 DOI: 10.1111/1471-6402.t01-2-00004Document Number: 381815
A subsample of divorced/separated Black and White mothers from the National Survey of Families and Households was followed over a five-year period to determine cultural differences in psychosocial well-being. Discriminant analysis, with education and time since divorce/separation controlled, indicated that White mothers at Time 2 differed from Black mothers in terms of higher levels of personal mastery, informal support, and economic well-being. Also, White mothers evidenced significant improvement in five of the six psychosocial domains: informal support, self-esteem, happiness, economic well-being, and depression, whereas Black mothers indicated improvement in informal support and happiness, and evidenced a marginal decline in personal mastery. Cultural differences also were noted in the greater income of White mothers at Time 2 as well as a greater likelihood for White mothers to remarry.