Abstract
Background
Maternal depression is an important public health issue for women, their families,
and their employers. Previous studies have examined the impact of leave duration on
maternal depression, but none have studied the association between maternal depression
and the pace of return to paid work. We examine herein the relationship between maternal
depression and return to work, and the moderating effects of pregnancy intention.
Methods
We utilized data from the Listening to Mothers II Survey collected from January 20
through February 21, 2006. The woman had to be 18 to 45 years old, speak English,
and have given birth in 2005 to a live singleton baby in a U.S. hospital. Our analyses
were limited to women who worked for an employer during pregnancy (n = 882). The primary
outcome was return to paid work at the time of the interview and the analyses utilized
Cox proportional hazard models.
Findings
In combination, intending the baby and being depressed suppressed return to paid work.
Nondepressed mothers with unintended pregnancies returned to work the soonest. Compared
with mothers who were not depressed and with unintended pregnancy, the risk ratio
of returning to paid work (0.70) was significantly lower for mothers who were depressed
and had an intended pregnancy. Mothers who were not depressed and with intended pregnancy
also had a significantly lower risk ratio (0.60) of returning to paid work than those
who were not depressed and with unintended pregnancy.
Conclusion
Primary care providers and policy makers can use these findings to support employed
women in their childbearing years.
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Biography
Rada K. Dagher, PhD, MPH, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Maryland. Her research applies the tools of occupational health services research and policy to study women's mental health especially after childbirth.
Biography
Sandra L. Hofferth, PhD, MA, is Professor in the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland. She researches how employment, family structure, and familial relationships are linked to parental and child health, and how family, community, and media influence children's activities.
Biography
Yoonjoo Lee, MA, is a PhD student in the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland. She is interested in family leave policies, the impact of live events transitions on individuals, and the time use patterns of children and families.
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 3,
2014
Received in revised form:
January 20,
2014
Received:
July 8,
2013
Footnotes
Supported by the University of Maryland ADVANCE Program Interdisciplinary and Engaged Research Seed Grant program and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (HRD1008117). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the University of Maryland ADVANCE Program.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
