Lone Warriors: Experiences of Single Mothers Raising Children with Special Needs

Single mothers face difficulties when it comes to finances, which expose them to different kinds of situations. In the Philippines, motivation is a desirable goal for single parents with special needs. This includes getting hope and providing for the needs of their household. Therefore, even with the lack of finances in life, single mother are still inclined to complete their duty. Thus, the primary goal of this research is to scrutinize the experiences, challenges, and coping mechanisms of single mothers with child special needs in their households. Utilizing Phenomenological as the research design and employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), several findings emerged: (1) single mother fulfill their duties. Masculine roles are traditionally defined within the family (2 single mothers under pressure from dramatic physical changes in their adolescent sons conclude that the boys are already men and urge them to act as expected of men. (3) However, single mothers with young children are more susceptible to mental health disorders than mothers with partners, especially when facing financial, social or long-distance difficulties. Appropriate social support programs and screening measures are needed to reduce disparities