Mothers are less likely to struggle with their mental health if their kids’ grandparents live close by, new study reveals

New research has revealed that mothers are less likely to struggle with their mental health if their children’s grandparents live close by and 'provide support and childcare' as their children grow up. 

Grandparents are a vital source of childcare for many parents, but with some parents now saying they're too busy to look after their grandkids, there's clearly an issue raising its heads for many families. 

The average childcare costs in the UK are unaffordable for some and, while everyone qualifies for 15 hours of free childcare, that simply isn't enough for many. Therefore, grandparents are incredibly important when it comes to looking after their grandchildren and, if they're not there to help out, either because of ill health or because they live far away, it can severely impact mothers' mental health.

After tracking a massive 488,000 mothers of young children between the years 2000 and 2014, a study published in the journal Population Studies found that mothers are less likely to take antidepressants if their own parents and parents-in-law are healthy and live close by, meaning they can help with childcare and other family necessities. 

On the other end of the scale, antidepressant use was highest in mothers whose parents and parents-in-law were elderly, in poor health, and lived far away. 

Niina Metsä-Simola, who co-authored the study, explains, "Previous studies have consistently shown that younger grandparents in good health are more likely to provide support and childcare. Whereas having an old and frail grandparent may even place an additional burden on mothers, as they cannot expect to receive support from such grandparents but instead need to continue providing support upwards."

In the group of mothers assessed, all of whom lived in Finland where the study's authors work, the group most affected by a lack of parental support was women who had separated from their partners.

"This makes sense," Metsä-Simola says, "as separated mothers often take on primary physical custody of their child, and may often need to rely on relatives to cope with the challenges of single motherhood. Mothers in such a situation may need to take on additional work, affecting their need for childcare, and may even need to move home. Having practical and emotional support [from grandparents who live close by] at such a time would be invaluable.

"Parents of young children, especially those entering single parenthood, may be especially vulnerable to the adverse mental health effects of separation. This could explain why, in our study, grandparental support was particularly relevant for the mental health of separating mothers."

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