Mothers may fear not meeting their standards of parenthood, according to an article by Robert Whitaker, M.D., M.P.H. and colleagues published in the September 2006 "Pediatrics." Maternal anxiety may in part be explained by environmental circumstances. Such environmental factors may be low socioeconomic status, stress in the relationship between the child's father and the lack of sufficient employment. Yet, some contributing factors to maternal anxiety appear to be genetic, as discussed in "A topical Approach to Life-Span Development."
Childhood Experiences
Children who are born to a mother with an anxiety disorder are more likely to develop anxiety, as was found in a study conducted by Andrea Schreier, Ph.D. and colleagues published in the "British Journal of Psychiatry" in 2008, although the researchers noted that only mothers with severe anxiety had an increased risk of having a child with anxiety. They also found that general anxiety and the specific type of anxiety that is characterized by fear of social situations, known as social phobia, are the main contributors to anxiety in children. Thus, severe generalized anxiety and social phobia in mothers are risk factors for their offspring. An anxious mother may have anxiety that was passed down from her own birth mother.
Age
Children of anxious mothers developed anxiety at the same age as children of nonanxious mothers, although children of anxious mothers had higher rates of incidence, according to Schreier. This suggests that phobias, or fears, develop early in life, despite family history. Therefore, a mother may have been predisposed to anxiety during childhood.
Gender Differences
In general, females are more prone to developing internal disorders such as anxiety, as discussed by author John Santrock in his book, "A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development." The author suggests that disorders like anxiety manifest differently across genders due to hormonal differences, specifically because of higher levels of estrogen in females. Therefore, aside from being a mother, the fact of being a woman is a contributing factor to maternal anxiety.
Food Insecurity
Mothers who are insecure in their abilities to provide sufficient food for their children have been shown to be more prone to maternal anxiety than mothers who are secure of their food provision ability according to the study conducted by Whitaker. The researchers discuss that government programs that ensure the proper nutrition of mothers and children are highly warranted to reduce the incidence of food insecurity among mothers.
Economic Insecurity
Stressful life situations, such as constrained economic resources, have been found to be related to anxiety in mothers, as discussed by Whitaker. Mothers who are unsure of their ability to provide the things that their children need experience negative emotions which in turn lead to anxiety. This anxiety is problematic because it can lead to problems in the children such as anxiety, aggression and not getting along with peers. Stress-induced anxiety was also seen with animals. Nonhuman primates were found to have impaired interactions with their offspring when their access to food became difficult.
Work-Life Balance
The return to work after giving birth can be a source of anxiety for women; thus, physicians should discuss related plans with mothers, such as child-care arrangements, according to Laurie Barclay, M.D. in the November 2007 "Annals of Family Medicine." Also, the lack of sleep can be a contributing factor to anxiety since roughly one half of mothers with a new baby experienced fatigue, as cited by Barclay. The author suggests that physicians should also discuss employer family leave policies with mothers who may need time away from work to recuperate.
References
- "Pediatrics"; Anxiety disorders in mothers and their children: Prospective longitudinal Community study; Andrea Schreier, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Michael Ho¨ fler, & Roselind Lieb; 2008
- "A Topical Approach to Life-Span Developmemt"; John W. Santrock (3rd ed.), 2007
- "Pediatrics"; Food Insecurity and the Risks of Depression and Anxiety in Mothers and Behavior Problems in their Preschool-Aged Children; Robert C. Whitaker, MD, MPH, Shannon M. Phillips, BA, & Sean M. Orzol, MPH; Sep. 1, 2006
- "Annals of Family Medicine"; Postpartum Women Should Be Evaluated for Fatigue, Mental and Physical Symptoms; Laurie Barclay, MD; November 2007.
