Parenting-related stressors and self-reported mental health of mothers with young children.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed whether there were associations between maternal mental health and individual and co-occurring parenting stressors related to social and financial factors and child health care access.


METHODS
We used cross-sectional data from the 2000 National Survey of Early Childhood Health. The 5-item Mental Health Inventory was used to measure self-reported mental health.


RESULTS
After we controlled for demographic covariates, we found that the following stressors increased the risk of poor maternal mental health: lack of emotional (odds ratio [OR] = 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.0, 5.9) or functional (OR=2.2; 95% CI=1.3, 3.7) social support for parenting, too much time spent with child (OR=3.5; 95% CI=2.0, 6.1), and difficulty paying for child care (OR=2.3; 95% CI=1.4, 3.9). In comparison with mothers without any parenting stressors, mothers reporting 1 stressor had 3 times the odds of poor mental health (OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 2.1, 4.8), and mothers reporting 2 or more stressors had nearly 12 times the odds (OR = 11.7; 95% CI = 7.1, 19.3).


CONCLUSIONS
If parenting stressors such as those examined here are to be addressed, changes may be required in community support systems, and improvements in relevant social policies may be needed.
Mistry
Ritesh
R
Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. riteshm@ucla.edu
Stevens
Gregory D
GD
Sareen
Harvinder
H
De Vogli
Roberto
R
Halfon
Neal
N
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology