Maternal depression affects up to 20% of individuals giving birth and has significant detrimental effects on maternal and infant health and child development. Preliminary research into New Jersey’s expansion of paid family leave in 2019 and 2020, which expanded paid bonding leave to 12 weeks and up to 85% weekly wages, resulted in a large increase in acceptance of these benefits. The central hypothesis of this research project is that access to expanded paid leave reduces economic insecurity and stress among new mothers, leading to improved mental health. Using linked birth and hospital discharge administrative records, researchers will apply a rigorous quasi-experimental approach to investigate how expanded paid leave benefits impacted maternal health. In addition, the project aims to assess the impact on postpartum health care use and charges and estimate the cost-benefit of the policy, as well as examine the extent to which the policy reduced maternal health disparities by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
February 2025