Conclusions
Our person-centred approaches to understanding maternal mental health
during times of crisis like COVID-19 provides a more precise description
of how mothers are functioning. We found that maternal mental health is
not stable as most of the mothers in our sample experienced a shift in
mental health profile prior to and after the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic. Furthermore, in times of crisis, the unique mental health
subgroups identified in low-income mothers are subject to change and
should therefore continue to be examined over time. Overall, the
findings of this study underscore the need for a nuanced and tailored
approach to understanding and addressing mental health among mothers.
Practitioners should recognize the heterogeneity of mental health,
consider the impact of external events, and use exploratory approaches
better to understand the diverse profiles of mental health among
mothers. By tailoring interventions and regularly monitoring mental
health, practitioners can effectively support mothers’ mental health,
particularly those who are low-income, and promote positive mental
health outcomes. Finally, it provides important information that might
assist in triaging resources to support mothers who are in the most need
of support.