Suspected Depression in the Early Care Workforce: Pre-Pandemic Evidence From the 2012 and 2019 National Survey on Early Care and Education

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Eighteen
  In Roundtable Session: Responding to Emerging Scientific and Societal Changes (Table 18)

Abstract

The present study leverages the National Survey on Early Care and Education (NSECE) to examine the national trends of suspected depression in the early care workforce and explore the patterns across key subgroups. We account for the complex sampling designs implemented in both survey years. Findings from our study indicate that trends of suspected depression were relatively stable between 2012 and 2019. Depression increased for the youngest staff members and declined for Asian staff members. Such information is valuable in that it provides a national picture of the psychological well-being of early care providers over time. The importance of these pre-pandemic trends is heightened given the increased stress that early care providers likely experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors

• Tingting Reid, Harvard University
  Presenting Author

• Mark Murphy, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
  Non-Presenting Author