Maternal Mental Health, Substance Use, and Domestic Violence in the Year After Delivery and Subsequent Behavior Problems in Children at Age 3 Years

By 3 years of age, children are at significantly higher risk for behavior problems if their mothers experience mental health problems, substance use, or domestic violence in the year after delivery. These maternal conditions often occur together, and as the number of maternal conditions increases, so does the risk of children’s behavior problems. This article takes the first-ever look at the cumulative effects of these maternal conditions on behavior problems in young children.