Feb. 23, 2026 — For Maci Burns, a 33-year-old veterinarian and mother of two in Muncie, Indiana, the weight of new motherhood didn’t lift for years. Returning to clinic shifts just three months after her first child was born, she pumped between patients as overwhelm crept in.
At home, she cycled between rage and dread, and she noticed a growing dislike for her partner despite his support. By the time her second child was born, the lingering heaviness, exhaustion, and financial strain of $600-a-week childcare bills had become her new norm.
Burns is not an outlier. New research shows that U.S. mothers recover far more slowly from postpartum depression than women in other countries, with symptoms often persisting through a child’s sixth birthday.
Experts say hormonal changes are being compounded by uniquely American pressures, such as increasing emotional and economic demands and limited social support.
If this research tells us anything, “it's that it doesn’t have to be this way,” said study author and University of Texas at Austin sociologist Shannon Cavanagh, PhD. “Mothering doesn’t have to be this hard.”
What the Study Found
Cavanagh’s study analyzed mental health data from more than 31,500 mothers from three countries — the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. Researchers tracked children and their mothers from infancy through early childhood, collecting data at four points beginning in the early 2000s.
At nine months postpartum, U.K. mothers reported the highest depression scores while U.S. mothers reported the lowest. Over time, that flipped: U.K. mothers saw a steep decline in symptoms, and by the end of the study, they reported the fewest.
Australian mothers, who initially fell in between, reported a modest improvement over time. U.S. mothers, by contrast, showed no improvement, even after five years.
“This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who works in the field,” said Priya Gopalan, MD, a psychiatrist specializing in perinatal mental health.
But it may surprise many women, especially those who don’t realize depression can begin well after the so-called fourth trimester (six to 12 weeks postpartum) and linger far beyond the first year. About 5% of mothers report high levels of depression up to three years after giving birth, according to the National Institutes of Health. Substance use data suggests maternal mental health risks are highest between six months and a year postpartum. Because most studies don’t track participants long-term, it’s hard to say exactly how long postpartum depression could last.
This isn’t just a mom issue — it has real consequences for public health. Research shows maternal depression is linked to poorer outcomes for children, including attachment issues, worse mental and physical health, developmental delays, and more school absences.
No Support, No Recovery
Untangling the causes of postpartum depression means accounting for rapid hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, and loss of autonomy. While “women are sold the idea that they’ll rebound, that they’ll get back to normal with time,” the new data suggests that isn’t always true — especially in the U.S, Cavanagh said.
The difference, Cavanagh argues, is family policy. The U.K. offers universal parental leave and childcare subsidies. In the U.S., federal aid is limited to the most vulnerable families, leaving most to navigate the struggle on their own, Cavanagh said.
U.S. single mothers, who more often qualify for assistance, reported the highest initial depression rates but showed meaningful improvement over time, though they never fully recovered. Married mothers reported less severe depression but saw no change in symptoms for five years.
“What that suggests to me is it’s not biology. It’s not hormones,” Cavanagh said.
The pattern likely reflects the U.S.’s limited supports for parents of young children, weaker work-family policies, and more challenging childcare options, said Stephanie Coontz, a historian of American family life.
High-Pressure Motherhood
The pressure on mothers isn’t just economic.
Modern motherhood is far more intensive than it was 50 years ago, Coontz said. “The average mother who works full time now spends more hands-on time in play and learning with her children than stay-at-home mothers did in the 1950s and 1960s.”
That shift is driven by the cultural belief that mothers are the superior parent — and must make extraordinary investments to secure their child’s success. Research shows this pressure is strongest in countries with higher economic inequality, like the United States, Coontz said.
It Doesn’t Have to Be This Hard
One critical thing to understand: Postpartum depression is not a normal parenting hardship you have to push through. It can and should be treated, Gopalan said, with a range of research-backed options.
Those options include medication — the oral drug zuranolone (Zurzuvae) — as well as home visits, peer support, meditative practices, exercise, and therapy. Gopalan typically recommends a combination approach. The key, she said, is starting the conversation.
“It’s never wrong to reach out to a primary care provider,” she said. There’s no benchmark of suffering required — speak up the moment you feel off, Gopalan said. “I wouldn’t overthink it.”
If your thoughts turn suicidal, go to the ER, she said.
Likewise, pediatricians and OB/GYNs need to keep checking in — “don’t just stop after the six-month period,” Cavanagh said.
Still, experts agree the real solution lies in better policy. Policies reflect a country’s values, Cavanagh said, and investing in families shapes “how women adapt, understand, and manage those early years of their child’s life.”
The data proves maternal depression doesn’t have to last.
