Grandparental Support and Maternal Well-Being: A Study of Finnish Mothers’ Antidepressant Use

The study conducted at the University of Helsinki reveals that the well-being of mothers of young children is influenced by the health and proximity of their own parents and in-laws. Mothers are less likely to use antidepressants if their grandparents are in good health and live nearby, while they are more likely to do so if their grandparents are over 70 years old, in poor health, and live more than ten kilometers away. This underscores the importance of familial support for mothers’ mental health.

The study analyzed data from nearly half a million Finnish mothers and found that maternal grandparents had a greater impact on maternal well-being than paternal grandparents. Grandmothers, in particular, were critical in providing support for young children. However, an interesting finding was that if paternal grandparents lived nearby, mothers were less likely to use antidepressants.

The research also looked at the impact of grandparents’ characteristics on divorced mothers, who relied heavily on their own parents for support during stressful times. The significance of grandparents’ support was evident even before divorce, indicating the importance of having a strong support network during challenging times.

It is suggested that the role of grandparents in supporting parents may be more pronounced in countries with weaker support networks such as public daycare and elderly care. This study published in Population Studies sheds light on the importance of familial support for maternal well-being in Finland.