Middle-class mothers more stressed by parenting duties
Study shows women with degrees feel most pressure when bringing up babies
MIDDLE-CLASS professional women are more stressed by their parenting duties than their contemporaries with fewer qualifications, according to a g round-breaking Scottish Government study.
Reseachers found mothers wit h universi t y deg rees experienced high levels of stress as did those wi t h no qualifications.
They were surprised at the finding as it appeared to contradict the usual social science correlation of economic deprivation, low academic achievements and poor p s yc h o l o g i c a l well-being.
The most relaxed mothers were those who had obtained a vocational education at college.
Parental stress is often associated with children’s delayed emotional and cognitive development.
The project found stressed mothers were less likely to read, sing nursery rhymes and visit friends with young children than those with more easy-going lifestyles. They were also more likely to have the television on for more than two hours a day.
The study assessed the impact of stress generally on mothers’ behaviour and did not look at how it affected individual subgroups, such as the highly or poorly educated.
The findings were published in a report Growing Up In Scotland, in which more than 6000 women with babies aged 10 months, born between March 2010 and February 2011, were interviewed.
“The pattern showed that while the most deprived had the highest levels of stress, curiously those with least deprivation had the second-highest levels,” said Professor Daniel Wight, of the Medical Research Council, Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, and a co-author of the report.
“The general pattern is that those who are more deprived have worse outcomes for their children and have less psycho- logical resources as parents and their parenting behaviour suffers as a result.
“The one exception is those who are the most highly educated also have high levels of stress.”
It is the first time the anomaly has emerged on a scientific basis and the academics behind the study will now investigate why it is the case.
Professor Wight said initial explanations were that highly educated women were reporting stress levels differently or were combining motherhood with challenging jobs.
In the study parenting stress was measured using t he mothers’ responses to three statements: “Having a child leaves little time and flexibility in my life. It is difficult to balance different responsibilities because of my child. And having a child has meant having too few choices and too little control over my life”.
Responses were graded on a five-point scale from one (strongly agree) to five (strongly disagree).
Researchers found 38% of mothers with degrees had high stress levels, behind 45% of women with no qualifications. Just 29% of women with college gained qualifications had high stress levels.
“Mothers with degree-level qualifications reported higher levels than all other mothers except those with no qualifications,” the report said.
Researchers also found mothers who were stressed often had less informal support with childcare from family and friends.
Elizabeth Duff, senior policy adviser at the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), the parenting charity, said adjustments women had to make to their lives after having children could be responsible.
“This finding may relate to feelings of lack of control over the events of the birth and early years of a baby,” she said.
“The unpredictable nature of this period can often lead to feel- ings of dissatisfaction while having to adapt many areas of your life.
“Those from t he most advantaged groups may feel this change more keenly if they are used to having a high degree of control in their life.”
Researchers plan to follow the babies’ development through childhood and adolescence.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The National Parenting Strategy aims to ensure no parent or family ever feels isolated, and they can access information, advice and support, whenever they need it.”