Abstract
Accessing medical services requires resources, which can be particularly scarce for single parents. During times of crisis and the associated daily challenges, the threshold for seeking out medical care increases further. This study is based on data on 6,155 mothers from the Socioeconomic panel (SOEP) survey waves of 2019 and 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic is used here as an example of a crisis. The results suggest that single parents have an overall higher need for medical care, reflected by poorer health and more medical diagnoses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a decline in the utilization of healthcare services was observed, especially among single mothers. It is important to create support opportunities for (single) mothers to improve and maintain their health during times of crisis.