Maternal Depression across Early Childhood: Similarities and Differences across Three Liberal Democracies

Women who parent report higher rates of depression than others. Research frames this around postpartum depression, yet many continue to report symptoms well beyond the postpartum period. Using data from three nationally representative birth cohort studies (N = 31,514), we investigate how women’s depressive symptoms unfold across children’s early life. We compare trajectories across countries that provide limited but different family supports that might matter to mothers’ health. Finally, we consider whether maternal characteristics moderate these differences. Using within and between growth curve modeling, we found country-level differences over time, with higher baseline but sharper declines among mothers in the United Kingdom and modest declines among mothers in Australia. Mothers in the United States started out lower but demonstrated no “recovery” over time. Depressive symptoms declined more sharply for advantaged mothers in countries with more generous supports but changed little for mothers in the United States regardless of their advantage.