Changing Perceptions: The Glass Is Now Half Full

14 years ago, University of Western Ontario scientist William Avison designed a study that looked at the mental health of children raised in single mother families in Canada. His team found that even if the mothers were stressed, most of the children were not. Avison is now following up on those same families to see how the children are faring as adults. In a phone interview he said that the preliminary analysis, fourteen years later, looks equally good.

"The majority of single mothers manage to do this and do not suffer the consequences," he said. "While the mothers bear the burden of single parenthood, my sense is that their children are reasonably well-protected from that stress. Deciding or ending up as a single parent does not mean that the child is going to be emotionally stressed," he added.

Avison' s subjects were drawn from the community around London, Ontario. "American studies," he believes, "do not translate well into Canada." This is because it is hard to separate the effects of racial discrimination and poverty from the effects of single motherhood on the well being of the children, he said. In addition, "the level of chronic severe poverty is much more profound than in Canada" and as such the research can not be generalized to fit Canada, he pointed out. "My view on why it doesn't translate well is because the population composition of the U.S. is considerably different of that of Canada. Academics disagree on some of these issues. There's a debate that goes on about that," he added.

According to Avison, Canadian studies on single mothers used to be based on American data. "I think it is much less the case now. Most of the major studies that have been done on single parenthood have been generated from pretty recent national data in Canada." he said.

A UWO press release states that Avison's team has been in the field since April 2004 doing the follow-up segment of the study. He expects to be finished this phase by summer, he said, and then do one more follow-up five years from now. According to the press release, the study is the largest of its kind in Canada and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Clearly more to come.

Photo by Derek Jensen; Courtesy Wikimedia Commons