US Mothers' Mental Health Declines Sharply | JQJO

A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals a significant decline in US mothers' mental health from 2016 to 2023. The percentage of mothers reporting excellent mental health dropped sharply, while those reporting poor mental health rose, especially among single mothers and those with children on Medicaid or uninsured. This worsening trend, affecting roughly one in twelve mothers by 2023 compared to one in twenty in 2016, contrasts with fathers' mental health, where the rate remained lower. The findings coincide with national discussions about declining birthrates and parental burnout.