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Parenthood, Life Course Expectations, and Mental Health
Daniel Carlson1, Kristi Williams
1The Ohio State University.
Society and Mental Health
|January 10, 2012
Summary
Individual expectations about having children before marriage can buffer negative mental health effects. However, deviating from expected birth timing increases distress, with variations by gender and race/ethnicity.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Demography
Background:
- Past research links early and premarital childbearing to adverse mental health outcomes.
- The influence of individual expectations on these associations remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how pre-parenthood expectations shape mental health outcomes related to premarital childbearing and birth timing.
- To examine gender and race/ethnic variations in these effects.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979.
- Analyzed the impact of individual expectations on mental health, considering premarital childbearing and birth timing.
Main Results:
- Expecting children before marriage mitigated negative mental health consequences of premarital first births.
- Deviating from expected birth timing (early or late) increased distress across all ages.
- Expectations for premarital childbearing specifically impacted African-Americans' mental health.
- Earlier-than-expected births affected mental health negatively for women, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites, while later-than-expected births affected all groups.
Conclusions:
- Individual expectations play a significant role in moderating the mental health impacts of childbearing timing and circumstances.
- The influence of these expectations is nuanced, varying by gender and race/ethnicity.
- Understanding expectations is crucial for addressing mental health disparities related to early and premarital childbearing.
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