The role of social support in parenting for low-income, single, black mothers

Using data from an ongoing study of single black mothers, we investigated the relationship of mothers' symptoms of depression and aspects of social support to parenting stress and children's behavior problems. Greater availability of instrumental social sup port exacerbated the effects of depression on parent stress, which, in turn, led to more child behavior problems. Also affecting child behavior were the presence of a grandmother in the household and less frequent contact between the nonresident father and child. Employed mothers were more likely to share a residence with the child's grandmother. Employment, in turn, was associated with higher income, but no less financial strain. However, a marginally significant, and negative, correlation between financial strain and mother-grandmother cohabitation was evident.