Impact of single parenthood among adolescents achievement motivation self concept adjustment and mental health

Abstract

The family structure plays a critical role in shaping the psychological and academic development of adolescents. In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in single-parent households in India, driven by factors such as divorce, separation, migration, and the death of a parent. Adolescents from single-parent families may experience unique challenges that influence their achievement motivation, self-concept, adjustment, and mental health. While previous research has examined these variables individually, integrated studies addressing all four variables within the Indian socio-cultural context remain scarce. To address this gap, the present study aimed to investigate differences in these psychological outcomes between adolescents from single-parent and two-parent families and to explore the interrelationships among the variables, including the mediating role of adjustment between self-concept and mental health. Grounded in the positivist research paradigm, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional research design. The study was descriptive, comparative, correlational, and predictive in nature. Data were collected from 505 adolescents (250 from single-parent households and 255 from two-parent houscholds) aged 13-19 years, selected from four districts of Kerala. Standardized instruments were used to measure achievement motivation, selfconcept, adjustment, and mental health. Phase I involved a pilot study and expert consultation to refine the research tools. Phase 1I constituted the main study, comprising descriptive statistics, group comparisons, analyses of demographic influences, correlational assessments, regression models, and mediation analysis. The results revealed significant differences between adolescents from single-parent and two-parent families in achievement motivation, self-concept, adjustment, and mental health. Adolescents from two-parent families generally obtained higher scores in achievement motivation, self-concept, and mental health, while also demonstrating better adjustment in specific domains. However, both groups largely scored within average or aboveaverage ranges. Within the single-parent group, certain demographic variables such as gender, educational level, sibling status, custodial parent, reason for single parenthood, and family type showed significant differences in selected psychological variables, while some variables showed no significant variation. Correlational analysis indicated significant relationships among achievement motivation, self-concept, adjustment, and mental health. Regression analysis identified self-concept and adjustment as important predictors of mental health. Mediation analysis further revealed that adjustment partially mediated the relationship between self-concept and mental health among adolescents from single-parent families. . The findings provide useful insights for educators, counsellors, and policymakers to support adolescents’ achievement motivation, self-concept, adjustment, and mental health, particularly among those from single-parent families. The study also contributes to future research in adolescent development.