Poor, rural moms with chronic depression may face greater health problems, according to new study

For rural moms with low incomes, chronic depression may be correlated with an increased incidence of other health problems, according to a newly published study.

Researchers from Washington State University analyzed three years' worth of data about 23 mothers with clinical depression, gathered from the ongoing, multi-state Rural Families Speak project. "The findings, published in the Journal of Family Social Work, show that moms who were chronically depressed experienced more health problems, distrusted doctors and had a worse outlook on their lives, compared with moms whose symptoms improved. The mothers’ depression also affected those closest to them," Traci Pedersen reports for Psych Central.

Moms who were chronically depressed and moms who were depressed but improving faced similar struggles in parenting. "However, chronically depressed moms faced greater challenges in dealing with their children’s emotional and behavioral issues, which were often compounded by a lack of childcare options, employment, concerns for delinquent behaviors and day-to-day behavioral management issues," Pedersen reports.

Maternal depression affects the whole family, said Dr. Yoshi Sano, an associate professor at Washington State who leads the Rural Families Speak project and was also the lead author of the paper. "Mothers are one of the main supports of the family, Sano told Pedersen. "They’re raising children, paying bills, and organizing events. When they’re depressed, the entire family is impacted."

Though policymakers often focus on physical health as an obstacle to self-sufficiency for low-income people, mental health is the biggest obstacle for moms and affects everything from family life to employability. But stigma and distrust of health care professionals is a roadblock to treatment, Sano said.

However, mental health access can be limited in rural areas, Tyler Harris reports for Nebraska Farmer. And women who live on farms often face added mental health burdens, said Tina Chasek, associate psychology professor at the University of Nebraska.

"Women in agriculture are sometimes called third-shift workers," Chasek told Harris. "They work outside the home to provide a steady income and insurance benefits. Then they take care of the family and work on the farm, in addition to being social support. So, they have three jobs. If a male farmer is going to talk, it's usually to his wife. Women on the farm often take care of everybody's emotional needs. So, there's a huge burden on them as well."

The Rural Health Information Hub has a Rural Suicide Prevention Toolkit with links to resources that can help rural policymakers implement suicide prevention programs. Click here to access it.