Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of maternal depression on couple relationship status

  • Published:
Review of Economics of the Household Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We exploit the occurrence of postpartum depression (PPD), which has a random component according to the medical community, to estimate causal effects of a salient form of mental illness on couples’ relationship status. We estimate single-equation models as well as bivariate probit models that address the potential endogeneity of PPD. We find that this relatively prevalent mental illness reduces the probability the couples are married (by 22–24 %) as well the probability that they are living together (married or cohabiting) (by 24–26 %) 3 years after the birth of the child. Models stratified by relationship status at the time of the birth indicate that PPD makes it more likely that unions dissolve (particularly among baseline cohabitors) and less likely that unions are formed (particularly among baseline non-cohabitors). The findings contribute to the literature on the effects of mental illness on relationships, to the broader literature on socioeconomic status and health, and to the more specific scientific and policy literatures on the effects of PPD on families.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agerbo, E., Byrne, M., Eaton, W. W., & Mortensen, P. B. (2004). Marital and labor market status in the long run in schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61(1), 28–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Averett, S. L., Argys, L. M., & Sorkin, J. (2013). In sickness and in health: An examination of relationship status and health using data from the Canadian National Public Health Survey. Review of Economics of the Household, 11(4), 599–633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, S., Chatterji, P., & Lahiri, K. (2013). Effects of psychiatric disorders on labor market outcomes: A latent variable approach using multiple clinical indicators (CESifo working paper no. 4260). Retrieved on December 10, 2013 from www.CESifo-group.org/wp.

  • Bartel, A., & Taubman, P. (1986). Some economic and demographic consequences of mental illness. Journal of Labor Economics, 4(2), 243–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G., Landes, E., & Michael, R. (1977). An economic analysis of marital instability. Journal of Political Economy, 85(6), 1141–1187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S. L. (2010). Marriage and child well-being: Research and policy perspectives. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(5), 1059–1077.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, L. (2003). The impact of maternal depression on familial relationships. International Journal of Psychiatry, 15, 243–255.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, M., McLanahan, S., & England, P. (2004). Union formation in fragile families. Demography, 41(2), 237–261.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chatterji, P., Alegria, M., & Takeuchi, D. (2011). Psychiatric disorders and labor market outcomes: Evidence from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication. Journal of Health Economics, 30(5), 858–868.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, Y., Bishai, D., & Minkovitz, C. S. (2009). Multiple births are a risk factor for postpartum maternal depressive symptoms. Pediatrics, 123(4), 1147–1154.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corman, H., Noonan, K., Schwartz-Soicher, O., & Reichman, N. E. (2011). Life shocks and crime: A test of the “turning point hypothesis”. Demography, 48, 1177–1202.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cornwell, K., Forbes, C., Inder, B., & Meadows, G. (2009). Mental illness and its effects on labour market outcomes. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 12(3), 107–118.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, M., Corman, H., Noonan, K., & Reichman, N. E. (2013). Life shocks and homelessness. Demography, 50(6), 2227–2253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B. P., Levav, I., Shrout, P. E., Schwartz, S., Naveh, G., Link, B. G., et al. (1992). Socioeconomic status and psychiatric disorders: The causation-selection issue. Science, 255(5047), 946–952.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Field, T. (2010). Postpartum depression effects on early interactions, parenting, and safety practices: A review. Infant Behavior and Development, 33(1), 1–6.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, J. (2009). All in the family: Mental health spillover effects between working spouses. The BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 9(1), 1–19.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Forthofer, M. S., Kessler, R. C., Story, A. L., & Gotlib, I. H. (1996). The effects of psychiatric disorders on the probability and timing of first marriage. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 37(2), 121–132.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. (2012). Core scales documentation. http://www.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/documentation/core/scales/ff_1yr_scales.pdf. Accessed January 3, 2012.

  • Frijters, P., Johnston, D. W., & Shields, M. A. (2010). Mental health and labour market participation: Evidence from IV panel data models (No. 4883). Discussion paper series//Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit.

  • Gove, W. R., Hughes, M., & Style, C. B. (1983). Does marriage have positive effects on the psychological well-being of the individual? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(2), 122–131.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jena, A., Goldman, D., & Joyce, G. (2011). Association between the birth of twins and parental divorce. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 117(4), 892–897.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Chatterji, S., Lee, S., Ormel, J., et al. (2009). The global burden of mental disorders: An update from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale, 18(1), 23–33.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, K. A., Lee, G. R., & DeMaris, A. (2003). Union formation and depression: Selection and relationship effects. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(4), 953–962.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundberg, S., & Rose, E. (2003). Child gender and the transition to marriage. Demography, 40(2), 333–349.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marcotte, D. E., Wilcox-Gok, V., & Redmon, D. P. (2000). The labor market effects of mental illness—The case of affective disorders. Research in Human Capital and Development, 13, 181–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLanahan, S. (1999). Father absence and the welfare of children. In M. Hetherington (Ed.), Coping with divorce, single parenting, and remarriage: A risk and resiliency perspective (pp. 117–145). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLanahan, S., Tach, L., & Schneider, D. (2013). The causal effects of father absence. Annual Review of Sociology, 39, 399–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, L. J. (2002). Postpartum depression. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287(6), 762–765.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mirowsky, J., & Ross, C. (2001). Age and the effect of economic hardship on depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 42(2), 132–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, C., Notterman, D., Brooks-Gunn, J., Kotenko, I., Jaeger, K., Hobcraft, J., et al. (2011). The role of mother’s genes and environment on postpartum depression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(20), 8189–8193.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, L., Fiori-Cowley, A., Hooper, R., & Cooper, P. (1996). The impact of postnatal depression and associated adversity on early mother–infant interactions and later infant outcome. Child Development, 67(5), 2512–2526.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2013). The numbers count: Mental disorders in America. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml. Accessed May 27, 2013.

  • Nelson, R. E., & Kim, J. (2011). The impact of mental illness on the risk of employment termination. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 14(1), 39–52.

    MathSciNet  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Hara, M. W., & Swain, A. M. (1996). Rates and risk of postpartum depression: A meta analysis. International Review of Psychiatry, 8(1), 37–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paulson, J. F., & Bazemore, S. D. (2010). Prenatal and postpartum depression in fathers and its association with maternal depression: A meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Association 303(19), 1961–1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prince, M., Patel, V., Saxena, S., Maj, M., Maselko, J., Phillips, M. R., et al. (2007). No health without mental health. The Lancet, 370(9590), 859–877.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichman, N. E., Corman, H., & Noonan, K. (2004). Effects of child health on parents’ relationship status. Demography, 41(3), 569–584.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reichman, N. E., Teitler, J. O., Garfinkel, I., & McLanahan, S. (2001). Fragile families: Sample and design. Children and Youth Services Review, 23(4), 303–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. W. (2002). Revisiting the relationships among gender, marital status, and mental health. American Journal of Sociology, 107(4), 1065–1096.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singleton, P. (2012). Insult to injury: Disability, earnings, and divorce. Journal of Human Resources, 47(4), 972–990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stowe, Z. N., & Nemeroff, C. B. (1995). Women at risk for postpartum-onset major depression. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 173(2), 639–645.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tach, L., & Edin, K. (2013). The compositional and institutional sources of union dissolution for married and unmarried parents in the United States. Demography, 50(5), 1789–1818.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tefft, N. (2012). Mental health and employment: The SAD story. Economics & Human Biology, 10(3), 242–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teitler, J. O., & Reichman, N. E. (2008). Mental illness as a barrier to marriage among unmarried mothers. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70(3), 772–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wade, T. J., & Pevalin, D. J. (2004). Marital transitions and mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 45(2), 155–170.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, Y., & Willis, R. J. (1997). Match quality, new information, and marital dissolution. Journal of Labor Economics, 15(1, Part 2), 293–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wildsmith, E., Steward-Streng, N. R., & Manlove, J. (2011). Childbearing outside of marriage: Estimates and trends in the United States. Child Trends Research Brief. Publication #2011-29. http://childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Child_Trends-2011_11_01_RB_NonmaritalCB.pdf. Accessed May 27, 2013.

  • Wolfers, J. (2006). Did unilateral divorce laws raise divorce rates? A reconciliation and new results. American Economic Review, 96(5), 1802–1820.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University for funding support, to Taťána Čepková, Victoria Halenda and Farzana Razack for excellent research assistance, and Cynthia Bansak, Karen Conway and participants at UNH Dept. of Econ. Seminar series for helpful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA

    Hope Corman & Kelly Noonan

  2. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Nancy E. Reichman

Authors
  1. Nancy E. Reichman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hope Corman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kelly Noonan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nancy E. Reichman.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 5, 6, 7, 8.

Table 5 Coding poor infant health
Full size table
Table 6 Multivariate probit estimates of the effects of postpartum depression and covariates on parents’ relationship status at 3 years, using broader measure of postpartum depression (N = 2,883)
Full size table
Table 7 Effects of postpartum depression on parent’s relationship status at 3 years for select subsamples based on mental illness history
Full size table
Table 8 Bivariate probit estimates of effects of postpartum depression on relationship status at 3 years (N = 2,883)
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reichman, N.E., Corman, H. & Noonan, K. Effects of maternal depression on couple relationship status. Rev Econ Household 13, 929–973 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-013-9237-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-013-9237-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation