Mental health-related quality of life and the timing of motherhood: a 16-year longitudinal study of a national cohort of young Australian women.
Libby HoldenRichard HockeyRobert S WareChristina LeePublished in: Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation (2018)
Timing of motherhood is embedded in sociodemographic and personal contexts. Women with socioeconomic advantages were characterised by higher mental health-related quality of life and later transition to motherhood, but adjustment for relative advantage attenuated differences in mental health-related quality of life. The overall findings suggest a pattern of positive adaptation to circumstances, with mental health-related quality of life improving through early adulthood regardless of timing of motherhood.