Socio-Environmental Factors Associated With Lone Parenting Chronically Ill Children

This article reports findings from 2 studies assessing the relation between parental perception of "lone" parenting and socioeconomic factors, including low income, perception of child health, and parental emotional distress among parents of chronically ill children. In both studies, parents who considered themselves a lone parent when caring for their ill child had significantly lower incomes and greater distress (i.e., were more likely to score at or above clinical or "case" cutoffs on the Brief Symptom Inventory) than those who considered themselves to be married or partnered. Longitudinal research is needed to determine the impact of lone parenting and low income on parental and child health outcomes over time.