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Heightened maternal separation anxiety in the postpartum : The role of socioeconomic disadvantage
Cooklin, Amanda R. Lucas, Nina Strazdins, Lyndall Westrupp, Elizabeth Giallo, Rebecca Canterford, Louise Nicholson, Jan M.
Cooklin, Amanda R.
Lucas, Nina
Strazdins, Lyndall
Westrupp, Elizabeth
Giallo, Rebecca
Canterford, Louise
Nicholson, Jan M.
Abstract
Maternal separation anxiety (MSA) refers to feelings of anxiety elicited in a mother during separation from her infant. The role of social and structural disadvantage in the etiology of high MSA has been overlooked. Secondary analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N = 3,897) revealed that compared to socioeconomically advantaged women, women of low socioeconomic position had a fourfold increased odds of reporting high (>80th percentile) MSA (odds ratio = 4.37, 95% confidence interval = 3.24-5.89), even when maternal and infant characteristics were controlled for. Inadequate social support and residing in a poor quality neighborhood were also significantly associated with high MSA in adjusted analyses. These findings indicate that high MSA is more common in socioeconomically disadvantaged women and might be a response to adverse circumstances. Mothers’ experience of, and reasons for, MSA needs to be considered in policy formulation about parental leave and postpartum employment, particularly for disadvantaged mothers.
Keywords
maternal employment, parental leave, maternal separation anxiety, perinatal mental health, socioeconomic position
Date
2014
Type
Journal article
Journal
Journal of Family Issues
Book
Volume
35
Issue
11
Page Range
1497-1519
Article Number
ACU Department
Institute of Child Protection Studies
Non-faculty
Non-faculty
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled