Mothers of Four-Year-Olds are Mostly Depressed: Study

Mothers of four-year olds are more likely to be depressed than those with older or younger children, according to a study.

Most women experience bouts of depression during pregnancy and after birth due to a variety of reasons like hormonal variations, physiological changes and mental stress. Australian researchers found maternal depression is more common after four years of motherhood. Their study examined medical records on early pregnancy and postpartum depression and its symptoms of 1,507 women from six different hospitals in Melbourne.

It was observed that almost one in every four women suffered from depressive symptoms within four years after giving birth. About 14.5 percent of mothers reported being very depressed when their children were four years old. The figure was much higher for those who developed mental stress and anxiety anytime during the first 12 months after giving birth.

The reports revealed women having more than one child four years post their first birth were less likely to exhibit depressive behaviors than first-time mothers. The study noted factors like young age, stressful lifestyle, financial constraints and marital discord affecting emotional and mental stability of these women who in turn end up depressed.

"The findings of this study reinforce the need for an increased focus on maternal health, particularly in the long term, as current guidance for professionals focuses on pregnancy and the early months after birth, and the need to take into account factors linked to the mother's life," said John Thorp, editor in chief of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (BJOG), reports the Telegraph.

According to the data by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 8 to 9 percent of American women have frequent episodes of post partum depression. These women reported having trouble getting sleep, being unattached to their babies or unreasonably paranoid about their children.

The authors believe in screening mental health and well being of mothers in regular doctor visits and pediatric checkups to curb the surging rates of depression.

"Mothers should be encouraged to seek help if they need help. This paper is not saying depression in the first few months after the baby is born is not important, it is. But it is also the case that women are vulnerable to depression as their children get older," Carmine Pariante researcher from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, who was not involved in the research, told the Telegraph.

More information is available online in the BJOG.