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Parent Families Are A Common Theme Throughout The United States Essay

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Single- Parent Families Single- parent families are a common theme throughout the United States. Single-parent families currently account for over 20% of households in the United States (Berk, 2014). This population has steadily increased over the past decade and continues to warrant the attention of mental health professionals. Single-parent homes require unique and specific attention to family therapy and research continues to support this. A single- parent home is defined as one parent taking on most or all of the responsibilities of a minor including, but not limited to: financial obligations, emotional and mental health concerns, academic and developmental progress, as well as the overall well-being of the child. These responsibilities can be overwhelming and the transformations that single parents endure can be quite complex.
Characteristics and Types of Single-Parent Families Single- parent families are characterized in several different ways. These include single- parenthood due to the following: divorce, as a result of death, individual choice (unwed pregnancy, adoption), or types of temporary work-related situations, such as military deployment (Gladding, 2015). Regardless of what leads to the family being restructured, the hardships and stressors that the family faces during this time are quite similar. Every aspect of the family system tends to change, which includes but is not limited to income, housing, parenting styles and relationships with family

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