Social Support Networks and Maternal Mental Health and Well-Being

Abstract

The link between social networks and mental health has increasingly been recognized by public health as an important topic of interest. In this paper, we explore this association among a specific group: mothers. Specifically, we discuss how maternal mental health can be understood in the context of social networks, the influence of specific social relationships, and how the type and quality of support can mediate maternal mental health outcomes. We review interventions that foster social networks to address maternal mental health as well as other related health outcomes. Findings suggest that interventions that combine multiple treatment approaches may be more effective in addressing mental health. Also, traditional measures of social networks may not be appropriate for vulnerable populations, with qualitative, rather than quantitative, indicators of social networks being more predictive of maternal health and well-being. The implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.

"We weren't created to do it by ourselves" : good mothering and maternal support across race, class, and family structure.

“…Economic and marital privilege often afforded mothers the resources and/or time needed to practice self-care. Self-care replenishes mothers' reserves of patience and well-being, both of which are essential to coping with the stresses and responsibilities of mothering (Balaji et al 2007). …”

“…Research details the relationship between maternal support systems (comprised of spouses, families, or fictive kin) and children's psychological well-being (e.g., Taylor and Roberts 1995). In recent years, public health research has increasingly focused on mothers' psychological well-being, above and beyond child outcomes (Balaji, Claussen, Smith, Visser, Morales, and Perou 2007).…”

“…Social and emotional support decreases mothers' likelihood of postpartum depression, anxiety, and toxic stress which can lead to physical illness, mental illness, and child abuse (e.g., Balaji et al 2007;Taylor and Roberts 1995). Social and emotional support can alleviate maternal tension, reducing the risk of aggressive and abusive parenting (Balaji et al 2007).…”

“…Social and emotional support can alleviate maternal tension, reducing the risk of aggressive and abusive parenting (Balaji et al 2007). …”

“…Despite the benefits associated with social and emotional maternal support for both mothers' and children's well-being (e.g., Balaji et al 2007), mother-centric maternal support is not an element of all mothers' maternal practices. Mothers most likely to lack mother-centric maternal support (including single mothers and lower-income mothers)…”