Working mothers happier than stay-at-home mums

A new survey shows stay-at-home mothers are more likely to be depressed than those who go to work

Working mothers experience less negative emotions than those who stay at home with their children, according to a survey of 60,799 women.

Only 17 per cent of the working mothers questioned report suffering from depression compared to 28 per cent of stay-at-home mums diagnosed with the illness.

91 per cent of employed mothers report feeling happiness in their life, while only 86 per cent of stay-at-home mothers say they feel happy.

The survey, conducted by Gallup, also shows that mothers who work experience similar emotions to working women without children.

Psychotherapist Dr Robi Ludwig believes that stay-at-home mothers experience more negative emotions than working mothers because they are isolated at home, and therefore struggle to feel a sense of self-accomplishment.

'There's always something that needs to be done. They can feel like an indentured servant,' she says. The stay-at-home mothers that were surveyed felt that more recognition of the hard work and dedication that staying at home and raising a family entails would help to support them emotionally.

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