How has COVID-19 affected the mental health of mothers?

By this point, COVID-19 has affected every corner of society around the world. From the pandemic’s effect on university students to the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine, it all seems to dominate our news and lives. It’s no wonder then, that for some, the effects of the pandemic have manifested themselves in the form of poor mental health. We’ve seen many people put out of work, taking on childcare and home-schooling and facing illness and grief.

This pressure has especially been felt by parents, who, as well as tackling the day-to-day challenges of a wide-spread virus and lockdowns, have also had to assume the role of teacher and nanny whilst children are limited from going to school.

Looking to explore the full extent of this issue, in January, Mumsnet published the results of their survey which aimed to “illustrate the mental health effects of pandemic measures on women, and particularly those who are caring for children while holding down jobs.”

What the survey found was that three-quarters of mothers (76%) claimed that the pandemic had a negative effect on their mental health. A large but sadly unsurprising figure considering all of the challenges that the nation’s mothers are facing.

Explaining more of the findings, Mumsnet say: “79% agreed that ‘responsibility for home-schooling fell largely to me’ under the last round of school closures and 77% agreed that ‘it was impossible for me to work uninterrupted’. Of those who had been in paid work in March 2020, 70% said they had struggled to balance work and childcare at home.”

It seems that there is a similar number of mothers who feel that they are most responsible for home-schooling and feel as though they are unable to work in peace at home as there is number of mothers who have seen a drop in their mental health – results that suggest a strong correlation between the two.

And it’s no wonder. For any parent who has been working from home whilst trying to home school, these statistics will not be surprising. That’s why, for those that are able, bringing in external help using a nanny agency can not only free up time to work but can, in turn, have a positive effect on mental health.

After all, it’s not just parents who are suffering, as 65% of the survey respondents claim that the pandemic has had a negative impact on their children’s mental health. Even with tools like the BBC learning material and online teaching, being a mother, a teacher, a nanny, a cook and a cleaner is bound to take its toll. Offloading the workload where you can, can free up time to focus on the most important of those roles and ensure that you can be your best self.

At Beauchamp Partners, it is our mission to connect you with the right household staff. If you are finding yourself needing some help at home, get in contact today.

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