A comparison of depression in children with and without mothers

The present research investigated depression in children with and without mothers. Differences in depression scores were tested by gender, socio-economic level, the cause of not having a mother, and the age of separation. The sample included 300 fourth and fifth grade elementary school children. Among them, there were 150 children (68 boys and 82 girls) who were living with their mothers and 150 (68 boys and 82 girls) who did not live with their mothers. Each group had an equal number of students (n=50) representing three different socio-economic levels (i.e., low, middle, high). Students in the sample came from 39 different public elementary schools. Children's ages varied between 10 and 12 years (M = 10.8, SD = .6). Teachers, administrators, and school counselors were asked to identify children without mothers. The children who were living with their mothers were randomly chosen. Results showed significant differences in depression between the two groups of children. Furthermore, there was a significant difference by socio-economic level. Depression of children without mothers is significantly associated with the cause of not having a mother and the age when the child was separated from the mother.