More than half of the women who head single-parent families in Ibiza and the rest of the Balearic Islands suffer stress “very often”, according to a study prepared by the Associació de Famílies Monoparentals de les Illes Balears and financed by the Institut Balear de la Dona. The report, presented this January, analyzes the impact of the lack of conciliation in the mental health of this mostly female group and warns that the insularity and the high cost of living in Ibiza intensify the problem.
The work, entitled Analysis of the impact of the lack of reconciliation on the mental health of women who head single-parent families in the Balearic Islands, was carried out during 2025 using a mixed methodology combining surveys and interviews in Mallorca, Menorca and the Pitiusas, including Ibiza, where several participants report a daily pressure that directly affects their emotional well-being.
Chronic overload and stress
One of the main findings of the study is that 50.7% of the women surveyed say they feel stress very often, while 28.8% admit to suffering from anxiety with the same frequency. In addition, 88.2% consider that single parenthood significantly influences their ability to reconcile work and family life, with negative consequences for their mental health.
In qualitative interviews, a mother living in Ibiza explains that “the constant pressure affects my mood, my energy level and my daily mental health”, a testimony that reflects a situation shared by many women raising children alone on the island and who are forced to combine work, care and housework without sufficient support.
Reconciling work and family, an obstacle course
Difficulties in reconciling work and family life appear as one of the main factors of emotional exhaustion. According to the report, 88% of women consider that their single-parent status seriously alters their work-life balance, and 32.8% state that it is “very difficult” for them to organize family and work responsibilities, compared to only 11.8% who consider it easy.
In this context, the lack of labor flexibility, described as “not at all flexible” by 41.5% of respondents, and the insufficient support network aggravate the situation. In Ibiza, these difficulties are accentuated by the seasonality of employment and the high price of care services, which leads to 40.6% having resorted to medication to sleep, showing high levels of insomnia associated with stress.
Direct impact on mental health
The study found that the psychological impact of single parenthood is profound and sustained over time. Among the most frequent emotions are stress, psychological and emotional exhaustion, which is “very high” for 40.6%, and frustration, mentioned by 55.8% of the participants.
To cope with this situation, 57.2% have turned to mental health professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatrists or primary care. However, many women recognize the lack of time for self-care, as another participant in the study pointed out: “It is not possible for me to go to the gym or have a coffee with friends without worries”, a reality especially visible in environments such as Ibiza, where work-life balance depends largely on economic resources.
Lack of knowledge and limited access to support
Regarding public policies, 53.7% of women say they have never had preferential access to work-life balance resources, and 46.7% feel poorly informed about their rights and assistance in the Balearic Islands. Even so, 63.8% consider that studies such as this one are very relevant to improve public policies.
Among the most highly valued measures is the 26-week parental leave for single-parent families in the public administration, which 61.1% rate as very positive, although they call for an extension, more flexible hours and affordable care services, especially needed on islands such as Ibiza, where access to these resources is more limited.
Insularity and structural inequality
The report stresses that insularity, the high cost of living and the seasonal nature of work intensify the inequalities affecting single-parent families in the Balearic Islands. According to data from the island councils, between 92% and 95% of single-parent families with a valid card in 2024 are headed by women, a figure well above the state average.
In this context, the participants call for more institutional support to prevent situations of social exclusion and structural violence, a demand that, according to the association promoting the study, is especially urgent in stressed territories such as Ibiza.
“A double shift that puts your health at risk.”
The president of the Associació de Famílies Monoparentals de les Illes Balears, Catalina Servera, summarizes the conclusions of the report by pointing out that “single-parent women in the Balearic Islands are burdened with a double working day that puts their mental health at risk”. In her opinion, the study diagnoses a structural problem and proposes concrete recommendations for the Balearic Government, such as more labor flexibility, development of the Balearic Law of conciliation, preferential access to care services and co-responsibility campaigns.
