Objectives: Due to the increased number of widows and divorcées, single-parent families are becoming
more common family formations. As such, family support systems that would resolve economic,
psychological, and child rearing issues have become society’s interest. However, support systems for
single-parent families are inadequate and the life satisfaction of such families is low, so the need for
suitable family support programs is rising. This study analyzed the relationship between single-parents’
anxiety and life satisfaction, and compared single-mother and single-father families to provide baseline data
for developing a better family support program for single-parent families. Methods: The study’s sample
was 255 single-parent households in a town in Chungcheongdo province. SPSS 22.0 software was used for
analysis. Results: The most influential factors in the causal relationship between anxiety and life satisfaction
in single-parent families are average monthly income, the number of children in the household, and the
dwelling pattern. No significance was found in socio-demographic factors among single-father families, but
among the single-mother families, the number of children was found to be a major factor. Conclusions:
The findings of this study suggest the need for developing suitable family support programs for
single-parent households.