Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Mental Health of Mothers Participating at the Routine Physical Examination of Infants : in Relation to the Infants Age

Abstract

There are many research papers dealing with depression related to the pregnancy and the period immediately after delivery. These studies indicate the need for support of pregnant women and women with infant, but the mental health of mothers with children over 1 year of age has not been given serious consideration until now. Thus, we conducted a survey of mothers with children aged 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 or 36 months to evaluate the mothers' mental health in relation to their basic characteristics and to the age of their children. Depressive states were found most frequently in the group of young housewives nursing their first child, but in all groups, we observed that 2.3% to 2.6% of mothers with children aged 2 to 3 years were affected, whereas only about 1% of those with children aged less than 1 year were affected. In Japan, there is no mandated physical examination for 2-year-old children, and even in those municipalities in which such an examination is offered, most children do not undergo an examination at this age. Consequently, checking the mental health of mothers during this period is difficult, and the possibility of housewives dealing with the stress of nursing in isolation is a concern. In this paper, we suggested the necessity of mental health support for mothers with 2-year-old children. Further investigation of ways to implement mental health assessments of mothers with very young children, such as by home visits and childcare counseling, is necessary.