Key points
- Women without children, by choice or due to medical infertility, are 1.3 times more likely to seek mental health support each year compared to mothers of childbearing age.
- The findings are based on data examined from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.
- Researchers say that few studies have explored mental health service use by motherhood status.
Women without children are more likely to seek mental health support compared to mothers, a University of Queensland study has found.
Dr Chuyao Jin , from UQ's School of Public Health , analysed data from more than 6000 women, finding women without children used mental health services at an increasing rate, rising from 7.4 per cent in 2007 to 16.5 per cent in 2022.
"Our findings also showed that women who were voluntarily without children or experiencing medical infertility had 1.3 times higher odds of seeking mental health support each year than mothers during their child-bearing years," Dr Jin said.
The study examined data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, tracking women born between 1973-1978, from their early 20s to late 40s.
Mental health service use increased for all women, regardless of parental status, climbing from 6.3 per cent in 2007 to 13.5 per cent in 2022.
"Overall, 3,391 of the women analysed - or 53.3 per cent- used mental health services at least once during this period," Dr Jin said.
Dr Jin said there has been a global decline in fertility rates, dropping by more than half - from 4.8 births per woman in 1950 to 2.2 per woman in 2021.
"Understanding the health implications of this demographic shift is increasingly important.
"In Australia alone, 16.1 per cent of women aged 45-49 were without children in 2021.
"Although several studies have linked women without children to having poorer mental health, few have explored mental health service use by motherhood status."
The study divided motherhood status into 4 categories: mothers (84.3 per cent); women voluntarily without children (3.8 per cent); women experiencing medical infertility (5.6 per cent); and women without children due to social infertility such as lacking a suitable partner (6.3 per cent).
"Our study reflects a step forward in service access, but service uptake does not necessarily mean the mental health service's treatment is effective," Dr Jin said.
"We need to shift the focus to whether these services address the diverse needs faced by women without children."
Professor Gita Mishra AO , Centre Director of the Australian Women and Girls' Health Research Centre , said many women without children experience greater social pressure and likely greater social exclusion than women with children.
"During this time of the year, many women face stress with family and friends, but for women who are involuntarily childless, it can be isolating and difficult, and it's important to know that support is available," Professor Mishra said.
"Women can access mental health support through an appointment with a GP and asking for a subsidised Mental Health Treatment Plan for up to 10 treatments a year."
The research is published in Journal of Affective Disorders.
