Mental Health Among Mothers Declined Over Last Decade

Self-reported mental health significantly declined for female parents, especially for those with low socioeconomic status, according to new data published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Investigators state that investments are needed to understand the underlying cause of mental health decline for mothers.¹

The results place emphasis on female parents with low socioeconomic status for both declines in mental and physical health. | Image Credit: BillionPhotos.com - stock.adobe.com

“Maternal mood disorders, in particular, can have long-term effects on children, directly by affecting development and indirectly by increasing the chance of exposure to co-occurring risks such as parental substance use and lower household resources.” Jamie Daw, PhD, assistant professor of health policy and management at Columbia Mailman School, said in a news release.² “Our results highlight the rising tide of worsening mental health among parenting women as a key target for efforts to improve maternal and child health in the US.”

According to the CDC, in 2023, 669 women died of maternal causes, decreasing from 817 in 2022. The maternal mortality rate was approximately 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births compared with 22.3, respectively. Although the rates have decreased, the mortality rate for Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, which was significantly higher than rates for white patients (14.5), Hispanic patients (12.4), and Asian patients (10.7).³ This underscores the importance of care for underrepresented patients.

The investigators of the current study aim to address the gap in data for the general health status of mothers in the US as well as disparities in self-reported physical and mental health. They measured self-reported physical and mental health using survey items and a 5-point Likert scale, and they identified sociodemographic characteristics that were self-reported, such as maternal age, education, nativity, family structure, and the child’s age, race, ethnicity, and health insurance status.¹

There were 198,417 mothers that completed the information for the study outcomes and covariates, with a mean age of 39 years, and represented approximately 42,130,370 individuals nationally. Approximately 89.8% were 30 years or older, 57.9% were privately insured, 35.7% were publicly insured, and 6.4% were uninsured. Further, 0.6% were American Indian or Alaskan Native, 3.4% were non-Hispanic Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander, 5.4% were non-Hispanic multiracial, 12.3% were non-Hispanic Black, and 51.1% were non-Hispanic White.¹

The study authors stated that the prevalence of excellent physical health declined from 28% to 23.9% in 2016 and 2023, respectively, but good physical health increased from 24.3% to 28.1%, respectively. There were no significant changes for fair/poor health. However, the decline in excellent health (38.4% in 2016 to 25.8% in 2023) was substantial. There were increases in both good (18.8% to 26.1%) and poor/fair health (5.5% to 8.5%). For nearly all sociodemographic groups, increases in fair/poor mental health were seen, but the magnitude varied. For mothers of preschool-aged children, fair/poor mental health doubled, as well as for non-Hispanic Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and privately insured patients.¹

Furthermore, the study authors stated that significantly worse physical and mental health were seen for mothers with lower educational attainment, those uninsured or publicly insured, US-born mothers, and single parents. Education, insurance, nativity, and family structure impacted physical health more than mental health.¹

“We found consistently worse health outcomes for mothers compared to fathers, suggesting that mothers may need additional consideration and attention in policies aimed at supporting parental health and especially mental health,” Daw said in the news release.² “In all cases, our study underscores the need for more comprehensive research on the health and well-being of US parents more broadly, and we urge support for more interventions that support prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health outcomes.”

READ MORE: Women's Health Resource Center

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REFERENCES

1. Daw JR, MacCallum-Bridges CL, Admon LK. Trends and Disparities in Maternal Self-Reported Mental and Physical Health. JAMA Intern Med. Published online May 27, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.1260

2. Study finds significant declines in maternal mental health across US. News release. May 27, 2025. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1084826

3. Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2023. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2025. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174577