Becoming a mother brings huge changes, not only to the body and daily routine but also to friendships and family ties. It is also a time when anxiety and depression are common, with as many as one in five women affected. A new study suggests that the way women’s social circles shift around pregnancy and birth may actually help protect their mental health.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales compared 378 women who were pregnant or had given birth in the past year with 378 similar women who were not. The findings appear in BMC Psychology. Participants from the UK, the United States and Australia completed online surveys three times over six months, between May 2020 and April 2021.
Each woman named up to six people she felt close to and rated how close she was to each of them and how well they knew one another. This kind of social network analysis reveals whether a person’s circle is tight knit or spread out, and whether it leans towards family or friends. The women also completed questionnaires on anxiety, depression, wellbeing and social sensitivity, which describes how strongly someone reacts to approval or rejection from others.
Compared with other women, those in the perinatal period felt emotionally closer to the people in their lives. Their networks were more closely connected and contained a higher share of family members relative to friends. They were also less sensitive to social rejection.
Perhaps surprisingly, the pregnant women and new mothers reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and greater wellbeing on average. Closer and more tightly connected social circles were linked to better mental health in this group, more so than among women who were not expecting or caring for a baby. Some of these links became clearer only when the youngest participants were left out.
The findings suggest that the months around birth are not only a time of risk but also a time of opportunity. As attention turns towards the baby, women may draw closer to family and become less affected by what others think of them. Supporting these close bonds could be a simple way to protect maternal mental health.
The study has limits. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns changed social life for everyone, and most participants were white and university educated. Women could name only six people, which limits what the study can say about network size, and first time mothers were not looked at separately.
Perinatal mental health problems are among the most common complications of pregnancy and can affect both mother and child. This study adds to evidence that the people around a new mother matter, and that the quality of those relationships may count for more than their number.
