Study reveals decline in mental health among US mothers

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals a troubling decline in mental health among mothers in the United States.

Researchers at Columbia University and the University of Michigan found the percentage of mothers reporting “excellent” mental health dropped sharply from 2016 to 2023.

Using data from nearly 200,000 mothers in the National Survey of Children’s Health, a nationally representative survey of households with children, researchers tracked health trends among women with children under 18 years old. Most of the mothers were over 30.

Notable findings included a drop in the percentage of mothers reporting “excellent” mental health, from 38 percent in 2016 to 26 percent in 2023. Reports of “excellent” physical health also declined, from 28 percent to 24 percent.

Additionally, the number of mothers rating their mental health as “fair/poor” increased from 5.5 percent to 9 percent.

“Although high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality have been well documented, national data on the health status of mothers beyond pregnancy and the first year postpartum is lacking,” said Jamie Daw, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. 

The study revealed that the decline in mental health started before the COVID-19 pandemic and was observed across nearly every socioeconomic subgroup examined.

Researchers warned the impact extends beyond the mothers themselves, citing links between poor parental mental health and increased risks of developmental delays, behavioral issues and other challenges among children.