Is workforce participation detrimental to the mental health of women andchildren? Evidence from six waves of data from the longitudinal study of australian children

Abstract

The past 50 years has been marked by the increasing participation of women in the workforce. There is some evidence that this expansion of women into the workforce may impose a mental health burden on women, and it is popularly speculated that children are also adversely affected. This analysis aimed to examine the associations between household workforce participation (household employment configuration) on the mental health of mothers and children Six waves of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were used, from 2004 (when children were aged 4–5 years) to 2014 (age 14–15 years). Mental health outcome measures were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores for c..