Influence of Single Parenting on Adolescents' Psychological Wellbeing: Case of Selected Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

The study examined the influence of single parenting on the psychological well-being of adolescents in selected public secondary schools in Kiambu Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya. Grounded in Psychoanalytic and Person-Centred theories, the study adopted a mixed research design comprising descriptive survey and correlational designs. The target population consisted of approximately 600 adolescents drawn from two purposively selected public secondary schools, with a sample of 240 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS Version 26. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) summarized respondents’ characteristics, while inferential analysis-particularly Chi-square tests determined associations between study variables. The findings revealed that divorce and separation were the most common causes of single-parent households, followed by parental death, voluntary single parenthood, and migration. Socio-economic pressures, substance abuse, and parental conflict emerged as major contributors to family breakdown. Results further showed that adolescents from single-parent households exhibited moderate levels of psychological well-being, characterized by hopefulness and coping capacity but also marked by emotional distress, loneliness, and diminished self-esteem. A significant statistical relationship (χ² = 198.456, p = 0.000) was established between single parenting and adolescent psychological well-being, indicating that reduced parental involvement, financial hardship, and limited emotional support increase psychological strain. The study also found that access to psychosocial interventions significantly enhanced emotional regulation and resilience (χ² = 167.823, p = 0.000), yet access to school-based counseling and peer-support programs remained inadequate. The study concludes that single parenting poses unique emotional and psychological challenges, but these effects are not deterministic. Adolescents with supportive custodial parents and adequate counseling access demonstrated greater resilience and emotional stability. The study recommends strengthening school-based guidance and counseling programs, enhancing parent-child communication, expanding peer and mentorship initiatives, and implementing community-based family counseling and economic empowerment programs to mitigate single-parenting stressors. Policy frameworks should integrate mental health and family-stability interventions within the education sector, ensuring that schools serve as protective environments that foster adolescent resilience and psychological well-being.