%0 Report
        %A Bhalotra, Sonia R.
%A Daysal, N. Meltem
%A Freget, Louis
%A Hirani, Jonas Cuzulan
%A Majumdar, Priyama
%A Trandafir, Mircea
%A Wüst, Miriam
%A Zohar, Tom
        %T Postpartum Depression and the Motherhood Penalty
        %D 2026
        %8 2026 Feb
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 18366
        %U https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp18366
        %X Using Danish administrative data linked to two independent, validated postpartum depression screenings, we study how postpartum mental health shocks shape women’s labor market trajectories. Event-study estimates show no pre-birth differences in trends between depressed and non-depressed mothers, but persistent employment gaps that widen immediately after birth. Health-care utilization patterns indicate that these differences reflect acute mental health shocks rather than pre-existing trends. The penalties are concentrated among less educated mothers and those in less family-friendly jobs. Our results highlight postpartum depression as a meaningful and unequal contributor to the motherhood penalty.
        %K postpartum depression
%K motherhood penalty
%K labor market inequality