Washington Times: Researchers find mothers’ mental health declined faster during COVID-19

Article Featuring Dr. Melissa Jermann

The mental health of mothers is declining faster as living costs rise and single-parent homes multiply in the pandemic era, a recent study shows.

An analysis of 198,417 mothers published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that only 25.8% reported “excellent” mental health in a survey in 2023, down from 38.4% in 2016.

Dr. Melissa was cited in The Washington Times article, “Researchers Find Mothers’ Mental Health Declined Faster During COVID-19,” which highlights a JAMA Internal Medicine study showing that from 2016-2023, U.S. mothers experienced a sharp decline in self-reported mental health. The trend was especially steep among single mothers, those with lower educational attainment, and mothers with publicly insured or uninsured children.