Self-Stigma and its Association with Parental Stress among Single Mothers

Tóm tắt

Self-stigma is a psychosocial phenomenon that can occur in any individual or group possessing characteristics that are either explicitly or implicitly associated with socially endorsed negative stereotypes. Using a questionnaire-based survey, this study investigated the association between internalized stigma and parental stress among 174 Vietnamese women who self-identified as single mothers. The findings revealed that higher levels of internalized stigma were significantly associated with greater parental stress. Notably, neither financial conditions nor support from the child’s father played a moderating role in this relationship. However, marital status emerged as a significant moderator. Women who had never been married or were legally married but self-identified as single mothers reported a stronger association between self-stigma and parental stress. The study also discusses its limitations and provides implications for future research on this topic.