New research from the University of St Andrews has prompted calls for additional support for mothers of young children who work 'nonstandard hours,' i.e. evenings, nights, and weekends.
Published in the journal SSM Mental Health, this is the first study of its kind using UK data. Researchers found that when mothers work nonstandard schedules, their children's socioemotional health is often compromised compared to those with mothers who work standard hours. In this study, socioemotional health is measured through children's hyperactivity, conduct, emotional, and peer problems, reported by their main carer, usually their mother. These constructs are often telling of emotional regulation, empathy, self-confidence, and resilience, which are critical for navigating life's challenges.
Using UK's Millennium Cohort Study, which follows more than 18,000 British children born around year 2000 from infancy to adulthood, researchers looked at the data of 12,432 children across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a focus of children between the age of 3 to 7 years of age.
Researchers looked at three pathways between mother's schedule and children's outcome; disruption to routine bedtime, disruption to routine mealtimes and maternal depressive symptoms. The team found that depressive symptoms in mothers explains some of the association between mother's nonstandard schedule and their children's socioemotional challenges. But overall, when looking at what happens within the same families over time, children did not appear to fare worse during periods when their mother worked non-standard hours, suggesting that the difficulties children experience may reflect broader circumstances under which their family lives, rather than the work schedule itself.
The UK's 24-7 economy often requires workers, including mothers of young children, to work unsociable hours. There have been multiple studies drawing a link between this type of working and increased mental health burden.
Lead author Dr Chia Liu, from the School of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of st Andrews, said: "Families navigating unsociable work schedules deserve greater support and attention. When mothers do well, children do well. As a society, when we take care of mothers, particularly those who are in less advantaged situations, who work difficult hours, we are indirectly taking care for their children as well."
She added "Family support policy should direct its attention to alleviating the negative impact of mothers' work conditions and mothers' mental health on children. Potential points for intervention may include strengthening mental health services for mothers employed in non-standard work schedules."
