Navigating Single Motherhood, Mental Health, and Finding Support Amidst Challenges

In this interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^®, Marjorie Robinson, of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a UPMC Health Plan member, tells us of her experiences accepting support from Pittsburgh-based Fabric Health as a single mom of 2 teenagers and why she believes that mental health–related concerns can be significant obstacles to overall good health.

“You need to find somebody that can help you,” Robinson says. “Even if it's a doctor or a friend, somebody, I would definitely say that you just have to find somebody that is good for you.”

This interview with Ms Robinson is part of a series with Fabric Health and the UPMC Health Plan. Please visit our dedicated UPMC Health Plan page for other insightful interviews with Fabric Health, the UPMC Vision Institute, UPMC Health Plan, and the Pittsburgh Financial Empowerment Center.

Transcript

Tell us about yourself and why you are here today.

My name is Marjorie Robinson. People call me MJ. I have 2 girls, who are teenagers, which is like a whole situation. [They are] 15 and 17 at this point. It's basically me being single and providing for them. I work for this company that you see on my shirt, which is Poplin, and I do a lot of my laundry out of these places [laundromats], and that's basically it.

Can you share your experiences with Fabric Health?

I met Rachel when I was in Monroeville. Actually, my one daughter, she was having an interview at Dairy Queen, which is right next door, and I was just like, “OK, this is like a whole new laundromat. Let me go in here and see what's going on.” The laundromat was beautiful. I loved it. I loved how it was huge and everything, and it was so newer. You didn't have to put quarters in it or anything like that. It was just like, swipe your card. I love that.

And I will say, Rachel, when I got in there, I started talking to her, and she was like, “OK, do you need any other means of help or things of that nature?” I'm a people person, so I sat down with her and we talked about LIHEAP [Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program] and other things I needed for my family. She was very, very helpful, I will say that.

Obviously, the pandemic, that was like a whole thing. So that's what led me to do the laundry service. But she also, Rachel, she opened me up to more services and she was guiding me—and she's still helping me. Because she'll call me weekly and say, “OK, I've looked up this. I did this.” Just looking out for little things that I may or may not know. As a single mother, you always need help for everything.

What obstacle do you believe has the biggest impact on individual health?

I'm going to go with the mental thing. Because I feel like, once again, as a single mom, with raising teenagers, it's a whole lot. Some days I just check out. I just want to go to work. I don't even want to deal with my kids. That's where I'm at. So I will say, the mental health, for single moms, yes.

I do seek mental health, with my doctor and everything. I think that that is a good thing for women to do, especially if you're single, and then it's just like, all this women stuff in the house, it's a lot. Because having my 2 daughters, it's a lot and the whole stress of everything.

Now I actually let my daughter do cheerleading. And physically, she's doing everything, and I think that has let a lot of stress take off of me, because she's doing everything that she wants to do. It can be a little stressful, because it is monetarily a lot, but I will say her doing her whole thing and she's on the field and everybody loves her—she does her whole flips, but she's small—they love her doing her flips and everything like that. And they're like, “We needed her on the team.” So it gives me like joy, I will say that. So that's a good thing for me. That really brings me joy.

What would you like to tell someone who may need similar help but not know where to turn?

You need to find somebody that can help you. Even if it's a doctor or a friend, somebody, I would definitely say that you just have to find somebody that is good for you.