Relationship Conflict, Work Conditions, and the Health of Mothers With Young Children

Abstract

Past research has shown that marital conflict is associated with poorer health among women and that new children come with declines in relationship quality and increased stress. The primary aim of this study was to explore how these two patterns converge—and what might buffer the risks of both to women’s health. We do so by examining the potential for paid work, more often thought of as a stressor for women managing family roles and relationships, to help women weather tensions at home while raising young children. Drawing on the work–family facilitation and research substitution perspectives, structural equation modeling analyzed integrated data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort and the Occupational Information Network database. The models revealed evidence that work characteristics can be protective. Specifically, the negative association between relationship conflict and mothers’ health was weaker when mothers or their partners worked in jobs with positive social–psychological conditions, such as feelings of sociability and support. These findings highlight the potential for work–family facilitation among new mothers.