Reproducibility package for Maternal Mental Health and its Influence on Children’s Early Development: Evidence from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This paper reports on the prevalence of three facets of mental health – depression, anxiety, and parenting stress, among mothers of children 0-6 years of age in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data from mother-child dyads were analyzed to examine differences in maternal mental health and early child development (ECD) outcomes by maternal educational attainment, urban versus rural setting, and refugee versus non-refugee status. It finds a higher prevalence of self-reported mental health concerns among refugee, less-educated, and rural mothers relative to non-refugee, more-educated and urban mothers. Maternal mental health concerns are significantly associated with lower levels of ECD. This paper also analyzes how exposure to stressors such as food insecurity, financial insecurity, being impacted by flooding, community crime, discrimination, and domestic violence exacerbates both maternal mental health and child outcomes. Regression analyses indicated a significant and negative compounding interaction of maternal depression, anxiety, and parenting stress on ECD for younger (0-3 years) and older (3-6 years) children, even after controlling for stressors and other covariates. Policy improvements are needed that focus on at-risk communities, providing mental health services and reducing exposure to stressors within communities and households.