Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries.
BACKGROUND:Maternal mental health is becoming recognized as a global health priority. Mental distress among mothers of young children may be exacerbated by exposure to adversity. Social capital may buffer the impact of adversity on mental distress during the postnatal period and beyond. This paper e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228435 |
| _version_ | 1819018783680888832 |
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| author | Jewel Gausman S Bryn Austin S V Subramanian Ana Langer |
| author_facet | Jewel Gausman S Bryn Austin S V Subramanian Ana Langer |
| author_sort | Jewel Gausman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND:Maternal mental health is becoming recognized as a global health priority. Mental distress among mothers of young children may be exacerbated by exposure to adversity. Social capital may buffer the impact of adversity on mental distress during the postnatal period and beyond. This paper examines the relationship between adversity, cognitive social capital and mental distress among mothers of young children in three low and middle-income countries. METHODS:This study uses data from the Young Lives study on 5,485 women from Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between exposure to stressful life events (SLEs) and mental distress in women between 6 months and 1.5 years post-partum. Logistic and linear regression was used to examine the potential for effect modification by social capital. RESULTS:The proportion of women with mental distress during the period between 6-18 months following the birth of a child in the sample was 32.6% in Ethiopia, 30.5% in India and 21.1% in Vietnam. For each additional SLE to which a woman was exposed, the odds of MMD increased by 1.28 (95% CI: 1.22, 1.36; p<0.001) in Ethiopia, 1.17 (1.11, 1.25; p<0.001) in India, and 1.98 (1.75, 2.25; p<0.001) in Vietnam. Exposure to family SLEs was significantly associated with MMD in all three countries with odds ratios of 1.76 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.38; p<0.001), 1.62 (95% CI: 1.12, 2.33; p<0.01 in India), 1.93 (95% CI: 1.27, 2.92; p<0.01), respectively. In Ethiopia and India, economic SLEs were also significantly associated with MMD after adjustment (Ethiopia OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.52; p<0.01 and India OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.05; p<0.05), while in India, crime SLEs (OR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.92; p<0.01) were associated with MMD. Cognitive social capital was found to modify the association between SLEs and symptomology of mental distress in Ethiopia, India and Vietnam. CONCLUSIONS:This study suggests that adversity may increase the risk of maternal mental distress in three LMICs, while social capital may buffer its effect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T03:24:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66d0526906994c88972f170b218b45c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T03:24:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
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| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-66d0526906994c88972f170b218b45c52022-12-21T19:17:37ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01151e022843510.1371/journal.pone.0228435Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries.Jewel GausmanS Bryn AustinS V SubramanianAna LangerBACKGROUND:Maternal mental health is becoming recognized as a global health priority. Mental distress among mothers of young children may be exacerbated by exposure to adversity. Social capital may buffer the impact of adversity on mental distress during the postnatal period and beyond. This paper examines the relationship between adversity, cognitive social capital and mental distress among mothers of young children in three low and middle-income countries. METHODS:This study uses data from the Young Lives study on 5,485 women from Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between exposure to stressful life events (SLEs) and mental distress in women between 6 months and 1.5 years post-partum. Logistic and linear regression was used to examine the potential for effect modification by social capital. RESULTS:The proportion of women with mental distress during the period between 6-18 months following the birth of a child in the sample was 32.6% in Ethiopia, 30.5% in India and 21.1% in Vietnam. For each additional SLE to which a woman was exposed, the odds of MMD increased by 1.28 (95% CI: 1.22, 1.36; p<0.001) in Ethiopia, 1.17 (1.11, 1.25; p<0.001) in India, and 1.98 (1.75, 2.25; p<0.001) in Vietnam. Exposure to family SLEs was significantly associated with MMD in all three countries with odds ratios of 1.76 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.38; p<0.001), 1.62 (95% CI: 1.12, 2.33; p<0.01 in India), 1.93 (95% CI: 1.27, 2.92; p<0.01), respectively. In Ethiopia and India, economic SLEs were also significantly associated with MMD after adjustment (Ethiopia OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.52; p<0.01 and India OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.05; p<0.05), while in India, crime SLEs (OR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.92; p<0.01) were associated with MMD. Cognitive social capital was found to modify the association between SLEs and symptomology of mental distress in Ethiopia, India and Vietnam. CONCLUSIONS:This study suggests that adversity may increase the risk of maternal mental distress in three LMICs, while social capital may buffer its effect.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228435 |
| spellingShingle | Jewel Gausman S Bryn Austin S V Subramanian Ana Langer Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries. PLoS ONE |
| title | Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries. |
| title_full | Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries. |
| title_fullStr | Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries. |
| title_short | Adversity, social capital, and mental distress among mothers of small children: A cross-sectional study in three low and middle-income countries. |
| title_sort | adversity social capital and mental distress among mothers of small children a cross sectional study in three low and middle income countries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228435 |
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