Mothers face barriers to accessing mental healthcare, survey shows

A survey of 2,818 U.S. mothers and caregivers, conducted by Count on Mothers for the advocacy group Inseparable, found that half of respondents nationally struggled with their own mental health in the past month, rising to 57% among mothers of children under 4. In Florida, the figure was nearly 48%.

Financial stress topped the list of family concerns at 41%, with mental health second at 11%. Lack of time was the leading reason mothers gave for neglecting their own mental health, cited by 49%, followed by cost of care, not knowing where to get help, and insurance problems.

Mothers with employer-sponsored insurance reported less confidence their plans would cover mental health care than those on Medicaid or CHIP, with a quarter reporting little or no confidence. More than 70% of mothers surveyed said they want laws regulating how social media and AI companies reach children.

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