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From 2016 to 2023, self-reported mental health among U.S. mothers declined substantially, with the percentage of moms reporting excellent mental health falling by more than 12 percentage points from 38% to approximately 26%. At the same time, those who self-reported fair/poor mental health increased by 3.5 points from 5.5% to 8.5%. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine and included more than 198,000 U.S. mothers with children aged 17 years and younger. Physical health also worsened overall, though more modestly, and the poor/fair physical health ratings stayed largely the same. These declines spanned all socioeconomic groups, but mothers who were single or had publicly insured or uninsured children reported worse health status. The study highlights a growing need to address maternal mental health and calls for targeted public health and policy responses, the authors say.
It’s not just you, Mom: In 2023, 12.5% of U.S. adults reported frequent feelings of anxiety, and 5.0% reported frequent depression—an increase compared to previous years, according to the National Health Interview Survey. Additionally, there were 5.9 million visits to emergency departments attributed to mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental diagnoses.