Moms in the U.S. report large decline in mental health in recent years, study finds

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Only about a fourth of moms in the United States say they have "excellent" physical and mental health, according to a new study.

The study, published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine, looked at 198, 417 mothers with children age 17 and under, finding large declines in self-reported maternal mental health and small declines in physical health from 2016 to 2023.

The health outcomes were measured on a four-point scale, including excellent, very good, good and fair/poor.

Within the time frame studied, the prevalence of "excellent" mental health declined from 38.4% to 25.8%. "Good" mental health rose from 18.8% to 26.1%, and "fair/poor" mental health rose from 5.5% to 8.5%.

Prevalence of "excellent" physical health declined from 28.0% to 23.9%. "Good" physical health rose from 24.3% to 28.1% while "fair/poor" physical health didn't change significantly, the study found.

"Mental health declines occurred across all socioeconomic subgroups; however, mental and physical health status was significantly lower for single female parents, those with lower educational attainment, and those with publicly insured children," the authors noted.

The study also looked at changes among male parents, finding declines in both "excellent" physical and mental health within the same eight-year study period — but overall, they still had better health scores than their female counterparts.

In 2023, for example, the prevalence of "fair/poor" mental health was 4 percentage points higher among female parents compared to male parents. 

This isn't the first time parental mental health has been put in the spotlight. Last year, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for changes to national attitudes toward parenting and caregiving in an advisory titled "Parents Under Pressure."

"The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health of society. Additionally, we know that the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the well-being of their children," Murthy wrote in the advisory, highlighting his own experience raising children.

As the study authors note, their findings are consistent with documented increases in depression and anxiety among pregnant and reproductive-aged women, as well as the general U.S. adult population.

"Our findings are supportive of the claim made by some scholars that maternal mortality may be a canary in the coal mine for women's health more broadly," they wrote.

Though more research is needed to identify the specific causes of declining mental health, the authors said leading theories include limited access to mental health care, social isolation, rising substance use disorders as well as broader stressors, from inflation and racism to gun violence and climate change.

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