What event matters? Exploring the relationship between stressful events and psychological distress in mothers of infants
Annemarie Nicol
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Contact Email: annemarie.nicol
fahcsia.gov.au
Psychological distress incorporates an important component of the overall health and wellbeing of individuals. Psychological distress also represents a risk factor for illnesses such as depression. In mothers, psychological distress has been linked with poorer outcomes, both for the mother and her child. This study explored the relationship between stressful events and high psychological distress in mothers of infants. Using 4,240 mothers of infants from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, it was found that certain subpopulations of Australian mothers, such as young mothers, single mothers, and unemployed mothers were at an increased risk of reporting high psychological distress. In addition, mothers with high distress were more likely than mothers with low distress to report experiencing at least one stressful event within the past 12 months. The study also found that although the number of stressful events predicted the likelihood of high psychological distress, certain events were more strongly associated with high distress than other events. These included relationship separation, work disappointment and financial crisis. The results are discussed, with particular emphasis on policy implications.
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