Research Information System
TURKISH ARCHIVES OF PEDIATRICS, vol.60, no.4, 2025 (ESCI)
Objective: Social support is a crucial factor that can offer both preventive and protective ben-efits against mental problems in mothers. This study investigated the associations between social support and depression, anxiety, and stress disorders in Turkish mothers with young children.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey, comprising 27 questions and the "Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21)," was administered to mothers with children between the ages of 2-6 years.Results: Among the 542 participating mothers, 56.5% were employed, 62.2% reported receiving social support, and 53.7% of the children attended nursery or kindergarten. The percentage of participants with high depression scores (>9) was 3.9%, high anxiety scores (>7) was 9.6%, and high stress scores (>14) was 4.1%. Overall, the prevalence of abnormal Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) scores was 11.8%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that housewives had higher odds of having abnormal DASS-21 scores. Additionally, working mothers without social support and those without access to nursery care had significantly higher rates of abnormal DASS-21 scores.Conclusion: The study emphasizes the importance of social support in improving maternal mental health, particularly for working mothers. Providing adequate social support and access to childcare can enhance maternal well-being, reduce stress, and improve self-efficacy in managing caregiving responsibilities. Future research should focus on developing policies and interventions that strengthen social support networks and improve childcare options to address mental health concerns among mothers