Study: Maternal Mental Health is Declining

June 25, 2025

The mental health of mothers in the U.S. is declining, according to a new seven-year study of self-reported physical and mental health released by JAMA Internal Medicine. Using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, researchers evaluated the responses of more than 198,000 U.S. mothers with children 17 and younger. The study was conducted from 2016 to 2023.

What’s more, mothers who previously reported being in excellent mental health, indicated that their health declined, as shown in the study.

Here are some key findings:

Single moms are at greatest risk:  Mental health declines occurred across all socioeconomic subgroups; however, mental and physical health status was significantly lower for single female parents, those with lower educational attainment, and those with publicly insured children.

The report recommends making investments to determine and address the underlying causes of mental health decline among U.S. mothers.

More data needed: Despite its importance, few studies have examined the general health status of mothers in the U.S., and those that have focused on specific subpopulations, such as mothers of young children or children with special health care needs. This study aims to address this gap by examining recent national trends and disparities in self-reported physical and mental health among female parents.

Men less affected:  Despite similar relative declines over the study period, male parents had better physical health status and substantially better mental health status during all years studied, according to the report.  

This year, HAP released an Action Plan for Maternal Health, which address mental health and other factors contributing to the well-being of the mother during all stages of pregnancy.

The JAMA study is available online.