Considerable Decline Seen in Self-Reported Maternal Mental Health

From 2016 to 2023, excellent mental health decreased by 12.4 percentage points, while fair/poor mental health increased by 3.5 percentage points

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 (HealthDay News) — From 2016 to 2023, there was a considerable decline in self-reported maternal mental health, while declines in physical health were smaller, according to a study published online May 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Jamie R. Daw, Ph.D., from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study using the nationally representative National Survey of Children’s Health to examine self-reported mental and physical health of biological or adoptive mothers of children aged 0 to 17 years from 2016 to 2023.

The sample included 198,417 mothers, representing 42,130,370 individuals nationally. The researchers found a decline in the unadjusted prevalence of excellent physical health, from 28.0 to 23.9 percent, while good physical health increased from 24.3 to 28.1 percent and fair/poor physical health did not change significantly. There was a decline in the unadjusted prevalence of excellent mental health, from 38.4 to 25.8 percent, while increases were seen in good mental health and in fair/poor mental health (from 18.8 to 26.1 percent and from 5.5 to 8.5 percent, respectively). During the eight-year study period, excellent physical health decreased by 4.2 percentage points; excellent mental health decreased by 12.4 percentage points; and fair/poor mental health increased by 3.5 percentage points after adjustment for secular changes in sociodemographic characteristics of mothers. Across sociodemographic subgroups, mental health declines occurred broadly.

“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 U.S.,” Daw said in a press release. “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.”