The influence of social class, strain and social support on symptoms of anxiety and depression in mothers of toddlers

Background: The aim of the study was to identify risk and protective factor s for anxiety and depression among mothers of toddlers. Methods: A populati on-based sample of 921 Norwegian mothers with Is-month-old children complet ed a questionnaire designed to examine the impact of socioeconomic and demo graphic factors, somatic health problems, negative life events, chronic str ain and social support on symptoms of anxiety and depression (HSCL-25). Res ults: There was a moderate aversive effect of negative life events and chro nic strain and a moderate protective effect of social support on the sympto m level, but no interaction effects were found between the risk and protect ive factors. Behaviour problems among the children clearly seemed to affect the mothers' symptom level. The symptom level varied with background facto rs like the mothers' education, employment status and age even after contro lling for the effect of strain and social support. The largest effect of th e background factors seemed to be indirect, however, mediated through their effect on the risk and protective factors. Conclusions: Although problems with the children's behaviour and child care arrangements were observed to have a strong impact on the mothers' symptom level, the frequencies of such problems appeared to be less dependent on socioeconomic conditions than di d other types of strain.