Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40610977›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Disruption and inequity in work, family and mental health: a longitudinal study of Australian mothers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Liana Leach, Tinh Doan, Rebecca Giallo, Jasmine Love, Stacey Hokke, Jodi Oakman, Helen Findley, Jan M Nicholson, Amanda R Cooklin

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Liana LeachNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Building 54, Mills Road, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia. Liana.Leach@anu.edu.au.
Tinh DoanNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Building 54, Mills Road, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
Rebecca GialloSchool of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
Jasmine LoveJudith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Stacey HokkeJudith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Jodi OakmanCentre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Helen FindleyJudith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Jan M NicholsonJudith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Amanda R CooklinJudith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.

Funding

Australian Research Council DP230100498Australian Research Council FT200100209
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic was a time of major global disruption in work and family routines; yet experiences of disorder in jobs and home life, and related psychological distress varied across families. This study examined how inequities in socio-economic resources prior to the pandemic predicted working mothers' work-family disruption and deterioration in mental health during the pandemic.

methodsData was from a national cohort of 2,278 Australian mothers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants were asked about work and household disruption during the pandemic and completed a measure of psychological distress (Kessler-6 Psychological Distress Scale) both prior to and during the pandemic.

resultsLatent class analysis showed that indicators of work-family disruption during the pandemic clustered into two groups - 'less disruption' and 'more disruption'. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identifying pre-pandemic predictors showed that mothers in the 'more disruption' group had poorer general health prior to the pandemic, lower relationship satisfaction, were more likely to work in low-intensity, insecure jobs, and to live in an urban area. They were also more likely to have more caring responsibilities, such as school-aged children and/or a household member with a disability. Linear regression analyses showed that mothers in the more disruption group had corresponding higher levels of psychological distress during the pandemic (controlling for pre-COVID distress levels) than mothers in the low disruption group.

conclusionsThese results indicate that large-scale, social upheaval during COVID-19 was most disruptive for mothers with fewer resources (personal, relational and job-related) and greater caregiving responsibilities. Increased challenges negotiating work and family commitments were associated with poorer mental health. The findings reinforce the need for integration between social and public health policy, particularly in times of widespread crisis.

Indexed as

COVID-19Mental HealthMothersAdultAustraliaFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesPandemicsPsychological DistressSARS-CoV-2Socioeconomic FactorsStress, PsychologicalCOVIDDistressMental healthMothersPandemicWork family

Identifiers

PMID40610977
PMCPMC12224744

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.