The Experiences of Single Parents Using Religion to Help Cope with Stress
[Thesis]
Jessa, Bobbie
West, Lucinda
Capella University
2020
118 p.
Ph.D.
Capella University
2020
The general purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of single parents who use religion to cope with stress. Single parents are a growing population, and at times the stress levels can be high. The resources available for single parents are limited. The social and behavioral science field are hesitant to recommend any coping strategies outside of the formal mental health setting. This study explores the use of religion and religious activities as a form of mental coping. Research literature has demonstrated links between religious involvement and parental stress but has failed to gather and report first-hand experiences of single parents who use religion to cope with parental stress. This study helps fill this gap by investigating 10 single parents of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, males and females between the ages of 18-50 who have at least one child under the age of 18. Each of the single parents included in the study has used religion (Christianity) to cope with the stressors as a single parent. A qualitative methodology with a generic design and purposeful sampling was used to collect the data. The data were analyzed through a combination approach of deductive and inductive thematic analysis. The themes that appeared were The Realities of Religious Single Parents, Significance of Religion, Expectations of Single Parenting, Stress of Parenting, and the Impact of Religion in Single Parenting, How Religion Affected Their Relationship with Their Children, and Impact of Religion that Led to Volunteering. For future research, it is recommended to see if there is a difference between religions, such as Muslims, Catholics, and Christians, on coping with stress as a single parent. The findings for the study concluded that religion had a positive impact on each of the parents' lives and helped them cope with stress in a more positive manner.