A recent study conducted by researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore has revealed a strong link between mothers’ mental health and early childhood cognitive development, particularly at around age four.
According to findings published in JAACAP Open, the study followed 328 mothers and their children and found that a mother’s psychological condition directly influences parenting styles, which in turn affects children’s cognitive and behavioral abilities.
The results showed that mothers experiencing anxiety or depression tend to adopt either overly strict or overly permissive parenting styles, both of which are associated with increased behavioral problems in children.
In contrast, positive maternal mental health—such as calmness, optimism, and confidence—was linked to more balanced parenting approaches based on warmth, clear boundaries, and consistent explanation of rules. This, in turn, contributed to improved cognitive development in children.
The study also highlighted that mental health is not defined solely by the absence of depression or anxiety but consists of two separate dimensions:
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Negative mental health: including psychological distress such as depression and anxiety
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Positive mental health: including well-being, optimism, and adaptability
According to this model, some mothers may appear “mentally healthy” in traditional assessments, yet still lack high levels of psychological well-being, which can reduce developmental benefits for children.
The findings also identified two main developmental pathways for children:
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Risk pathway: linked to maternal psychological stress, leading to harsher or inconsistent parenting and a higher risk of behavioral issues
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Protective pathway: linked to positive well-being, leading to supportive parenting that enhances cognitive abilities such as intelligence, vocabulary, numeracy, and executive functioning
The researchers concluded that supporting mothers’ mental health should go beyond treating disorders and also include enhancing positive well-being, given its direct impact on early childhood development.
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