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BackgroundHaving more children may be detrimental to maternal mental health during China’s ongoing fertility policy transition. However, under what circumstances and how number of children could be associated with maternal mental health remains understudied in China. This study examined the association between number of children and maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms among mothers of middle school students in Shanghai, China. It also explored the moderating effect of maternal employment status and the mediating effect of family environment.MethodsMothers of students from 7 middle schools in Shanghai were surveyed. In total, 4,215 valid questionnaires were obtained. The survey included sociodemographic information, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Chinese version of the Family Environment Scale (FES-CV). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association between number of children and maternal anxiety/depressive symptoms. Model 1 and Model 4 of SPSS PROCESS were then employed to examine the moderating effect of employment status and the mediating effect of family environment.ResultsThe rates of clinically significant anxiety and depressive symptoms among mothers were 13.6% and 17.6%, respectively. The moderating effect of maternal employment status was significant. Among unemployed mothers, number of children was positively associated with both maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas among employed mothers, number of children was not associated with maternal anxiety or depression. Among unemployed mothers, family environment mediated the association between number of children and maternal anxiety/depressive symptoms through the pathways of family conflict and organization. Among employed mothers, family environment suppressed the association between number of children and maternal anxiety/depressive symptoms through the pathways of family conflict, intellectual-cultural orientation, organization, control, and independence.ConclusionOur findings suggest that number of children per se is not necessarily associated with worsened maternal mental health. Instead, the potential changes in employment participation and family environment that accompany having more children may be more relevant. Therefore, stakeholders, clinicians, and researchers should therefore focus on these aspects when addressing maternal mental health.

IntroductionPolice officers are exposed to elevated psychological risks due to both operational and organizational stressors. Additionally, police officers tend to resort to avoidant coping strategies, which exacerbate poor mental health outcomes, such as burnout and PTSD.MethodsThis study aims to examine clinical symptoms (stress, anxiety, depression), coping styles, and perceived stressors among police forces from Catalonia, Spain. A total of 741 officers completed an online survey comprising DASS-21, PSQ-Op, PSQ-Org, Brief COPE and brief open-ended questions. ResultsOverall, both operational and organizational stressors were significant predictors of clinical symptoms, with the latter revealing a more pronounced impact. Avoidant coping emerged as the strongest risk factor for distress, while problem-focused coping emerged as a possible protective factor, especially against depression. Both gender and years of service influenced coping strategies: i) female officers reported higher use of adaptive coping, while male officers scored higher in avoidant coping; and ii) more experienced officers reported lower anxiety symptoms but also lower use of active coping strategies. DiscussionThese findings underscore the importance of addressing both organizational culture and individual-level factors in promoting psychological resilience, while considering gender and career stage to support sustainable mental health within police forces.