Factors Influencing Maternal Stress: Self-Assessment by Mothers of Young Children

Abstract

This article explores how mothers with children under the age of six years perceive the influence of different groups of factors on their stress levels. Data were collected through a survey of 200 mothers of children aged 0–6 years, residing in both urban and rural areas of Hanoi. The questionnaire included the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) and a self-developed 28-item instrument, categorized into five groups: (1) child-related factors, (2) maternal health and physical condition, (3) lack of time and difficulty in achieving work-life balance, (4) insufficient support resources, and (5) social pressures. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression analyses were applied. The results showed that the average PSS score was lower than the theoretical mean, but with wide variation, indicating that a considerable proportion of mothers experienced high stress. The regression model revealed that the factor group comprising lack of time and difficulty in achieving work-life balance was the only one significantly associated with maternal stress after controlling for demographic variables. Other groups of factors also showed positive correlations with stress, reflecting its multifactorial nature—arising not from a single cause but from the interaction of multiple influences at different systemic levels. The article provides empirical evidence to inform interventions that enhance time-management skills, promote flexible working conditions, and strengthen family and social support systems to help reduce stress among mothers with young children in Hanoi.

Received: 11^th June, 2025; Revised: 19^th August, 2025; Accepted: 10^th October, 2025.