U.S. moms say their mental health is getting worse

U.S. moms raising babies, children and teens report worsening mental health, a trend that began before the COVID-19 pandemic.

A nationally representative survey queried households with children ranging from 0 to 17 years of age. From 2016 to 2023, the percentage of the close to 200,000 mothers in the study sample who reported excellent mental health dropped from 38 to 26 percent. Meanwhile, the share of moms reporting the lowest rating, fair or poor mental health, rose from 5.5…