A new research study published in the July edition of the American Journal of Public Health looks at the factors that detrimentally affect the general mental health of the mothers of young children.

Among women with children ages four months to three years (35 months), these three conditions are the biggest predictors of poor maternal mental health:

* Lack of emotional support - No one to rely on for day-to-day emotional help with parenting (3.4 times more likely to experience mental health problems)

* Lack of functional support in caring for children - Little or no help with child care when mothers need a break (2.2 times more likely to experience mental health problems)

* Spending too much time alone caring for their child (3.5 times more likely to experience mental health problems)

Mothers who reported having just one of the above parenting-related stressors had triple the risk of poor mental health, while women who had two or more of the above stressors increased a mental health risk x12.

The authors' conclusions: Improving family leave policies and making high quality childcare more 'affordable and accessible' could help ease the stresses on mothers. Once again proving the point...The personal is political!