The role of digital communication in the psychological well-being of Muslim single mothers

Abstract

Background: Changes in modern family structures have led to an increase in the number of single mothers, placing them in a socially and emotionally vulnerable position. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how social support, particularly through digital communication, can contribute to their psychological well-being. This study aims to describe the psychological well-being of Muslim single mothers who are members of digital communities and to map the forms of social support they receive. Methods: This study used a descriptive quantitative method involving 36 Muslim single mothers who are active in online communities. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of mean values, score distributions, reliability tests, and normality tests. Findings: The results showed that family support was the most dominant source of support, followed by support from friends and close relatives, while the most accessed digital platforms were Instagram and Facebook. This instrument has a high level of reliability, but the data were not normally distributed. Digital communication did not show a significant relationship with psychological well-being. This finding indicates that digital communication cannot yet be viewed as a major factor directly related to psychological well-being in the context of this study. Conclusion: This study concludes that social media functions as an additional support space, but in this study, digital communication did not show a significant relationship with the psychological well-being of Muslim single mothers. The implication is that efforts to strengthen the psychological well-being of Muslim single mothers need to be directed at strengthening family support and the quality of active and supportive digital interactions, rather than simply encouraging quantitative participation in online communities. Novelty/Originality of this article: The novelty of this research lies in its focus on Muslim single mothers in Indonesia and its empirical mapping of the dynamics of the digital social support they access.