title: Maternal depression in the United States: nationally representative rates and risks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the public health burden of major depressive disorder (MDD) among mothers: its prevalence and sociodemographic patterns; associated functioning, comorbidities, and adversities; and racial/ethnic disparities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional analysis of 8916 mothers in the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative survey of the civilian U.S. population in 2001?2002. Past-year MDD was assessed with a structured interview protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten percent of mothers experienced depression in the past year. White and Native American women, those with low education or income, and those not married had high rates of depression. Depression was not strongly patterned by number of or age of children. Depressed mothers experienced more adversities (poverty, separation or divorce, unemployment, financial difficulties) and had worse functioning. Half of depressed mothers received services for their depression. Black and Hispanic depressed mothers were more likely to experience multiple adversities and less likely to receive services than white depressed mothers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal depression is a major public health problem in the United States, with an estimated 1 in 10 children experiencing a depressed mother in any given year. Professionals who work with mothers and children should be aware of its prevalence and its detrimental effects.
authors: Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue,Boston, MA 02116, USA. kertel@hsph.harvard.edu
authors: Karen A
authors: KA
authors: Ertel
authors: Janet W
authors: JW
authors: Rich-Edwards
authors: Karestan C
authors: KC
authors: Koenen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult