Resilience and Quality of Life among Single and Partnered Parents: An analysis in the Indian Context

This study investigates the relationship between resilience and quality of life among single and partnered parents in India. With the rise of single-parent households, which comprise 5% to 12% of families in India, this research aims to fill the gap in literature regarding the comparative analysis of resilience and quality of life between single and partnered parents. The study involved 100 parents from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, including 40 single parents and 60 partnered parents, using purposive sampling. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF Scale and the Resilience Scale by Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi & Dr. Shruti Narain were employed to assess the participants. The results indicated that single parents face greater economic challenges and report poorer health, affecting their quality of life more than partnered parents. Despite these challenges, single parents exhibit comparable levels of resilience, with significant differences observed in self-reliance and faith. The study found that resilience significantly predicts quality of life, while age does not. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to enhance resilience, particularly among single parents, to improve their quality of life. This research contributes valuable insights for developing support systems tailored to the unique needs of single parents in the Indian context.