Moms Report Concerning Slide in Mental Health

Single moms and low-income families experienced biggest decline, study finds
Posted May 28, 2025 7:40 PM CDT
Moms Report Concerning Slide in Mental Health
Meryem Bakache, a mother at Mary's Shelter maternity home, comforts her child on Friday, January 5, 2024, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.   (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Mothers in the US are reporting increasingly worse mental health. From 2016 to 2023, the percentage of mothers who felt their mental health was "excellent" dropped, while those reporting "poor" mental health rose, especially among single mothers and those whose children have Medicaid or are uninsured, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine; it incorporates data from almost 200,000 mothers surveyed as part of the National Survey of Children's Health, per the New York Times. About one in 20 reported poor or fair mental health in 2016. By 2023, that had changed to one in 12. Fathers fared better, with one in 22 reporting poor or fair mental health in 2023.

The study is cross-sectional and relies on self-reporting, which researchers note as a limitation, but experts say the trend aligns with what they've seen. The findings "are consistent with documented increases in depression and anxiety among pregnant and reproductive-aged women," per CBS News. Dr. Tamar Gur, who was not part of the research, says the data can reassure struggling mothers they're not alone, per the Times.

Identifying causes wasn't the study's focus, but experts point to possible contributors, including rising housing, child care, and food costs, as well as longstanding issues like women bearing more household responsibilities and the lack of paid parental leave. While the pandemic intensified struggles, the decline began before Covid, notes study author Jamie Daw. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)

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