Workplace policies and mental health among working-class, new parents

ABSTRACT

Little research has explored linkages between workplace policies and mental health in working-class, employed parents, creating a gap in our knowledge of work–family issues across social class levels. The current US study addresses this gap by employing hierarchical linear modeling techniques to examine how workplace policies and parental leave benefits predicted parents’ depressive symptoms and anxiety in a sample of 125, low income, dual-earner couples interviewed across the transition to parenthood. Descriptive analyses revealed that, on average, parents had few workplace policies, such as schedule flexibility or child care supports, available to them. Results revealed, however, that, when available, schedule flexibility was related to fewer depressive symptoms and less anxiety for new mothers. Greater child care supports predicted fewer depressive symptoms for fathers. In terms of crossover effects, longer maternal leave predicted declines in fathers’ anxiety across the first year. Results are discussed with attention to how certain workplace policies may serve to alleviate new parents’ lack of time and resources (minimize scarcity of resources) and, in turn, predict better mental health during the sensitive period of new parenthood.

RESUMEN

Pocos estudios han investigado la relación entre las normal laborales y la salud mental de los empleados en muestras pertenecientes a clases socioeconómicas bajas o trabajadoras, así limitando nuestro conocimiento acerca de la relación laboral-familiar en distintas clases socioeconómicas. Este estudio emplea un modelo jerárquico linear para investigar como las normal laborales y permisos de maternidad y paternidad predicen síntomas de depresión y ansiedad en las madres y padres. Ciento veinte y cinco parejas en el periodo de transición a maternidad y paternidad, de escasos recursos económicos y con doble fuente de ingresos, fueron entrevistadas. La parejas reportaron, en promedio, tener menos acceso a beneficios y normas laborables como la flexibilidad en el horario laboral o asistencia con el cuido de niños. Sin embargo, los análisis indicaron que, cuando disponible, la flexibilidad en el horario estaba relacionada con menos síntomas de depresión y menos ansiedad en las madres. Mayor asistencia con el cuido de los niños predijo menos síntomas de depresión en los padres. Por otra parte, mayor duración del permiso de maternidad predijo reducciones en la ansiedad paternal durante el primer ano del niño. Discutimos los resultados en torno a como ciertas normas y políticas laborales pueden asistir a las madres y padres a quienes le escasean el tiempo y los recursos y, por consiguiente, predecir mejor salud mental durante el periodo crítico que es la transición a maternidad y paternidad.

KEYWORDS:

• Anxiety
• depressive symptoms
• parental leave
• transition to parenthood
• workplace policies
• working-class

PALABRAS CLAVES:

• Ansiedad
• síntomas de depresión
• permisos de maternidad y paternidad
• transición a maternidad y paternidad
• normas laborales
• clase socioeconómica baja/trabajadora

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Aline Sayer, Jade Logan, Elizabeth Turner, Heather Bourne, Amy Claxton, Kira Henninger, Abbie Goldberg and Courtney Keeton for their assistance on this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Maureen Perry-Jenkins is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Director of the Center for Research on Families. She has garnered national and international recognition for her research focused on the challenges facing working-poor families as they cope with the stress of new parenthood and holding down full-time work. Dr Perry-Jenkins has received over 2 million dollars in funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct her longitudinal research that examines how work conditions and policies affect the well-being of new parents transitioning to parenthood and the long-term outcomes of their children. She has over 50 peer-reviewed publications and chapters and is currently a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford writing a book on the impact of low-wage work on children.

JuliAnna Z. Smith is a methodological consultant with extensive experience in the application of advanced statistical models to examine dyadic relationships and changeover time. While she has consulted on projects in a wide range of fields, she focuses primarily on research examining the experiences of families and romantic partners, mental health issues and treatment, and social justice.

Lauren Page Wadsworth is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She studies transdiagnostic features of anxiety disorders and mechanisms of change in therapy from a culturally considerate perspective.

Hillary Paul Halpern is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research and clinical interests primarily center on women's mental health, with a focus on the transition to parenthood.

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to Maureen Perry-Jenkins [R01-MH56777].