A new study looked into the mental health of American moms and the results are concerning - a growing number of mothers in the U.S. seem to be struggling with their mental and physical health.👪
Researchers at the National Survey of Children's Health talked to nearly 200,000 mothers between 2016-2023 and findings showed a sharp drop in maternal mental health. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, shared that the percentage of mothers who report "excellent" mental health dropped 12 points between 2016 and 2023, from 38% to 26%. Mothers reporting "excellent" physical health dropped 4 points from 28% to 24%. ↓
At the same time, those who answered that their health was "good" rose from 18.8% to 26.1%. Replies of "fair/poor" health rose 3% from 5.5% to 8.5%.
Lead study researcher, Jamie Daw, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, had this to say in a news release, "Our results highlight the rising tide of worsening mental health among parenting women as a key target for efforts to improve maternal and child health in the U.S."
Researchers suggested that limited access to care, social isolation, and rising substance use disorders may be a contributor to this decline. It is also possible that the Covid pandemic may have played a role in this decline, since there was a lot more isolation in 2022, 2023, and 2024. 😷
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