Family structure and the mental health of Pakistani Muslim mothers and their children living in Britain

Abstract

The relationship between family structure and mental health was examined in a British Pakistani Muslim community. Mothers completed an inventory of psychological symptoms of depression and anxiety while a teacher rated their children's behavioural adjustment. Mothers living in extended families reported feeling more depressed and anxious than those in nuclear families; their children, however, were better adjusted. The significance and reasons for the different patterns of association between family structure and psychological well-being for mothers and children are discussed.