As a stay-at-home work-from-home dad, I fully understand that being a stay-at-home mom is not an easy job between all of the diaper changes, feedings, random crying sessions, and other fussiness, but a new study by the team at Gallup finds that the exhaustion and loneliness associated with the stay-at-home role could actually be leading to increased sadness, anger, and depression.
The study asked stay-at-home mothers aged eighteen through sixty-three who had at least one child living at home under the age of eighteen how they felt during the prior day. Twenty-six percent of stay-at-home moms told survey takers they felt sadness yesterday compared to just 16% of mothers who worked outside of the home. The study also found that yesterday, 15% of stay-at-home mothers had felt anger compared to just 14% of working moms. The study also revealed that 50% of stay-at-home moms felt stressed yesterday compared to 48% of employed mothers.
Perhaps the biggest concern was the number of mothers who were diagnosed with depression. According to Gallup, 28% of stay-at-home moms have verifiable depression compared to 17% of working moms.
The study conducted from January 1 through April 30 questioned 60,799 women and has a margin of error of plus or minus one percentage point.
As a stay-at-home work-from-home dad, I would love to see how this type of survey would compare for the increasing number of fathers who have shunned the traditional workplace role to stay home with their kids.
References
Stay-at-home moms report more depression, sadness, anger: http://www.gallup.com/poll/154685/Stay-Home-Moms-Report-Depression-Sadness-Anger.aspx
Image Credits
Stay-at-Home Mom: http://www.momlogic.com/2009/01/i_need_a_vacation_from_my_vaca.php
