Collaborative ECHO research led by Tracy Bastain, PhD, MPH of the University of Southern California and Amy Margolis, PhD of Columbia University, investigates the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mothers in the United States. The study found that mothers who reported more life changes during the pandemic also reported more symptoms of traumatic stress. This research, titled “COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences and Symptoms of Pandemic-Associated Traumatic Stress Among Mothers in the US,” is published in JAMA Network Open.
This study included 11,473 mothers from 62 ECHO cohorts across the U.S. and Puerto Rico and investigated the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health from April 2020 through August 2021. ECHO researchers examined patterns of pandemic-associated changes in maternal health and health behaviors, healthcare visits, work and finances, and coping strategies. The researchers used cluster analysis to group the mothers based on their pandemic experiences and then examined whether these groups reported higher or lower symptoms of traumatic stress related to the pandemic.
“As compared to fathers, during the COVID-19 pandemic more mothers have been affected by job and income losses, taken on more childcare burdens related to remote schooling, and have made major adjustments to their daily routines,” said Dr. Margolis.
The mothers who fell into the group that experienced more changes and reported more symptoms of traumatic stress tended to be women with higher incomes and higher education, and these women were more likely to report financial concerns as a cause of that stress. In contrast, mothers who had lower education and lower income were more likely to report fewer pandemic-related changes.
“Our study found that mothers who had the most changes to their work, health, and social support systems also reported the highest amount of traumatic stress due to the pandemic,” said Dr. Bastain.
The study results suggest that the association between sociodemographic, stressful life events and mental health should be considered in future studies examining the long-term outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research could examine how changes over the course of the pandemic affect mothers’ stress and well-being.