Social disconnection, depression, and anxiety during parental leave among Slovak women
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objectives The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of social disconnection, depression, and anxiety among Slovak mothers on parental leave. The secondary objective was to assess the contribution of perceived loneliness and social isolation to depressive symptoms among mothers. Methods The final sample consisted of 410 mothers with a mean age of M = 33.4 and SD = 4.61. Data were collected online via battery of standardized self-report questionnaires, focused on depression, anxiety, perceived loneliness, and social isolation. Results The prevalence rates of moderately severe to severe depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) and anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 10) were 38.3% and 28.3%, respectively. The co-occurrence of both conditions was observed in 23.2% of mothers. Elevated levels of loneliness were reported by 78.3% of participants (UCLA-3 ≥ 6), while 26.8% were classified as socially isolated (LSNS-6 < 12), indicating a high prevalence of both loneliness and social isolation in this sample. Regression analysis showed that anxiety and loneliness were significant positive predictors of depressive symptoms, with the models explaining 61–62% of the variance. Conclusion The result of the study revealed elevated rates of depression and anxiety among mothers on parental leave. Psychological factors, particularly anxiety, loneliness, and social isolation, played a more prominent role in explaining depressive symptoms than demographic variables, including length of parental leave. The findings underscore the need for systematic screening and accessible perinatal mental health care among mothers on parental leave.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7166982763