{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,5]],"date-time":"2026-11-05T04:51:46Z","timestamp":1793854306519,"version":"4.6.1"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]],"date-time":"2024-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727222400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the population in many countries has been declining. China, which was previously the world's most populous nation and is often categorized as an emerging economy, officially entered an era of population decline in 2022. The advent of this era has make China's economic development more uncertain and aging of population more pronounced. To address the population decline, the Chinese government implemented the \u201cThree-Child Policy\u201d to encourage childbirth, aiming to reverse the negative population growth. However, this policy has not achieved the expected goals. Instead, it has increased the pressure on women to bear children, particularly for career women, where such pressure may conflict with their existing work and family environments, subsequently affecting their mental wellbeing.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A survey was conducted to investigate the mental wellbeing status of career women in Changchun City, Jilin Province, Northeast China. It analyzes the impact of working and family environments on the mental wellbeing of these women.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Based on the survey, this study draws five conclusions: <jats:bold>A<\/jats:bold>. The mental wellbeing status of career women varies across different ages, industries, and childbirth statuses. <jats:bold>B<\/jats:bold>. The perceived adverse impact of childbirth on the working environment may negatively affect the mental wellbeing of career women. <jats:bold>C<\/jats:bold>. The perceived adverse impact of childbirth on the family environment may negatively affect the mental wellbeing of career women. <jats:bold>D<\/jats:bold>. Career women are not satisfied with the effectiveness of current policies in protecting women's rights. <jats:bold>E<\/jats:bold>. Compared to working environments, there is a greater demand for career women in the family environments, particularly in reducing various family burdens.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The pro-natalist policies introduced in response to negative population growth can worsen the mental wellbeing of career women, while the deterioration of their mental wellbeing could further accelerate population decline. Given the current challenges, this study suggests that effectively improving the mental wellbeing of career women requires building psychological resilience among childless career women, reducing the burden of family on career women, and continuously improving policies and regulations that protect the rights of career women.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1462179","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]],"date-time":"2024-09-25T12:28:45Z","timestamp":1727267325000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Career women's mental wellbeing in the era of population decline: the effects of working environment and family environment on the mental wellbeing"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Bowen","family":"Zhou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xuchen","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruixue","family":"Ge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dongni","family":"Zhuo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.15884\/j.cnki.issn.1007-0672.2022.06.002","article-title":"A summary of population thought of communist party of China Wang Qin-chi","volume":"43","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Northwest Popul J."},{"key":"B2","volume-title":"An Anthropology of Biomedicine","author":"Nguyen","year":"2011"},{"key":"B3","first-page":"3","article-title":"China's high-quality population development: connotation, level and regional differences","volume":"38","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Chin J Popul Sci."},{"key":"B4","first-page":"148","article-title":"Are People with Higher Education More Li-kely to Get Depression? The effect of education on adults' depressive symptom-s","volume":"2","author":"Shi","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Beijing Normal Univer."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"538","DOI":"10.1016\/j.emj.2012.08.002","article-title":"Does emotional intelligence moderate the relationship be-tween mental health and job performance? An exploratory study","volume":"31","author":"Lindebaum","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur Managem J."},{"key":"B6","first-page":"140","article-title":"A study on the characteristics, trend, and problems of family structure changes in China: based on the analysis of the national census micro-data","volume":"61","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Peking Univer."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"448","DOI":"10.3724\/SP.J.1041.2008.00448","article-title":"Job insecurity, wellbeing, and job performance: the role of general self-efficacy","volume":"40","author":"Feng","year":"2008","journal-title":"ActaPsychologica Sinica."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"282","DOI":"10.12139\/j.1672-0628.2022.02.020","article-title":"The relationship between family atmospher-e children's life satisfaction and intergenerational transmission of mental healt-h: the difference of parent-child gender and children age","volume":"20","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"Stud Psychol Behav."},{"key":"B9","first-page":"36","article-title":"Preliminary analysis of negative population growth in Taicang county","volume":"3","author":"Yang","year":"1985","journal-title":"Populat Res."},{"key":"B10","first-page":"64","article-title":"The impact of population regeneration cycles on negative population growth in Taicang County in 1983 and 1984","volume":"3","author":"Huang","year":"1988","journal-title":"Chin J Health Statist."},{"key":"B11","first-page":"7","article-title":"A preliminary study of China'-s negative population growth momentum in the 21st century","volume":"32","author":"Wang","year":"2008","journal-title":"Popul Res."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1728-4457.2011.00385.x","article-title":"Who's afraid of population decline? A critical examination of its consequences","volume":"37","author":"Coleman","year":"2011","journal-title":"Popul Dev Rev."},{"key":"B13","first-page":"3","article-title":"Trends and patterns of negative population growth in China","volume":"44","author":"Zhang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Populat Res."},{"key":"B14","first-page":"64","article-title":"Negative population growth: conceptual evolution, multidimensional classification, and economic impacts","volume":"2","author":"Jin","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lanzhou Acad J."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.16524\/j.45-1002.2022.03.005","article-title":"Role conflict and depression prevention of professional women under the background of the three-child policy","volume":"45","author":"Zheng","year":"2022","journal-title":"Acad Forum"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.19633\/j.cnki.11-2579\/d.2022.0040","article-title":"The Causes and Countermeasures of low birth rates among young people under the Three-Child Policy","volume":"3","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"China Youth Study."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.19411\/j.cnki.1007","article-title":"Negative population growth in china: urrentsituation, challenges and countermeasures","volume":"27","author":"Ye","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Yangzhou Univer."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.3390\/soc10030067","article-title":"Work\/family conflict of more importance than psychosocial working conditions and family conditions for mental wellbeing","volume":"10","author":"Nordenmark","year":"2020","journal-title":"Societies"},{"key":"B19","first-page":"14","article-title":"A Study of Children's Educational Pressure and Housing Pressure on the Fertility Intentions from the Perspective of the Crowding out Effect of Happiness and Social Class","volume":"39","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"South China Populat."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.15992\/j.cnki.31-1123\/c.2024.02.008","article-title":"Extended maternity leave and migrant women's fertilityunemployment paradox: based on China migrants dynamic survey data","volume":"44","author":"Shi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Chin J Sociol."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-15-5393-6_1","article-title":"Understanding gender and mental health","author":"Srivastava","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gender and Mental Health Combining Theory and Practice"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.13631\/j.cnki.zggyyx.2017.04.002","article-title":"Reliability and validity of the symptom checklist 90 in Chinese professional females","volume":"30","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Chin J Indust Med."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"957","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)02141-3","article-title":"Time for united action on depression: a Lancet-World Psychiatric Association Commission","volume":"399","author":"Herrman","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"317","DOI":"10.1177\/1403494820944736","article-title":"Gender inequalities in depression\/anxiety and the consumption of psychotropic drugs: are we medicalising women's mental health?","volume":"49","author":"Bacigalupe","year":"2021","journal-title":"Scandinavian J Public Health"},{"key":"B25","first-page":"14","article-title":"Analysis of mental health status of building professional women in Hongqiao Business District of Shanghai","volume":"43","author":"Yan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Shanghai Med Pharmaceut J."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"421","DOI":"10.13621\/j.1001-5949.2011.05.001","article-title":"Survey on the psychological health and social support among women of different population in the urban of Ningxia","volume":"33","author":"Lv","year":"2011","journal-title":"Ningxia Med J."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2093","DOI":"10.16766\/j.cnki.issn.1674-4152.003298","article-title":"Research on the influencing factors and countermeasures of depression among occupational women in functional communities based on IMB structural equation model","volume":"21","author":"Gao","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chin J General Pract."},{"key":"B28","article-title":"Effect of mental health intervention on WeChat platform on psychological stress of professional women during pregnancy","author":"Lv","year":"2023","journal-title":"China Modern Med."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-021-01181-z","article-title":"Risk and protective factors associated with mental health among female military veterans: results from the veterans' health study","volume":"21","author":"Adams","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Women's Health."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1016\/0001-8791(75)90048-2","article-title":"Employee perceptions of the work environment and mental health: a suggestive study","volume":"6","author":"Gavin","year":"1975","journal-title":"J Vocat Behav."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-6874-14-22","article-title":"A qualitative study of factors affecting mental health amongst low-income working mothers in Bangalore, India","author":"Travasso","year":"2014","journal-title":"BMC Women's Health"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.13956\/j.ss.1001-8409.2018.09.28","article-title":"The gender difference in income distribution \u2013explanations from wage and pension","volume":"32","author":"Guo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Soft Sci"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.16479\/j.cnki.cn43-1160\/d.2017.06.020","article-title":"Analysis of conflicts between women's work and family under the comprehensive two child policy","volume":"30","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Huxiang Forum."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.13956\/j.ss.1001-8409.2018.09.28","article-title":"Comprehensive management of occupational difficulties faced by women of childbearing age under the Two-Child policy","volume":"32","author":"Zhang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Governance Stud."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1007\/s00420-014-0967-0","article-title":"Work-family conflict as a mediator in the association between work stress and depressive symptoms: cross-sectional evidence from the German lidA-cohort study","volume":"88","author":"Prel","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int Arch Occup Environ Health."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.16369\/j.oher.issn.1007-1326.2024.01.004","article-title":"Study on reliability and validity of a Simplified Scale for Depression and Anxiety Screening among professional females in six industries","volume":"42","author":"Sun","year":"2024","journal-title":"Occup Health & Emerg Rescue."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13692\/j.cnki.gywsyzyb.2024.03.004","article-title":"Survey on anxiety and depression tendency and influencing factor analysis among female managers","author":"Gu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Indust Health Occup Dis"},{"key":"B38","volume-title":"Study on Spatiotemporal Dynamic and Determinants of the Subjective Wellbeing of Married Women in China","author":"Li","year":"2022"},{"key":"B39","article-title":"Gender wage discrimination at quantiles:evidence from Northeast Urban Labor market in China","author":"Zhang","year":"2009","journal-title":"Chin J Popul Sci"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"610","DOI":"10.3969\/j.issn.1000-6729.2023.07.011","article-title":"Anxiety and relation with work family conflict and perceived social support in college teachers","volume":"37","author":"Guo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chin Ment Health J."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1757","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-018-9878-7","article-title":"Mental health in teachers: Relationships with job satisfaction, efficacy beliefs, burnout and depression","volume":"39","author":"Capone","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr Psychol."},{"key":"B42","first-page":"144","article-title":"Features, influencing factors, and development trends of mental health problems among secondary school teachers","volume":"3","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Renmin Univers China Educ J."},{"key":"B43","first-page":"39","article-title":"Social media information acquisition and its impacts on women's fertility intention: a comparison between information seeking and incidental exposure","volume":"1","author":"Jiang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chin J Popul Sci."},{"key":"B44","first-page":"85","article-title":"Have marriage and fertility been de-institutionalized in China?","volume":"3","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Chin Women's Stud"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13723\/j.yxysh.2024.03.019","article-title":"Analysis of influencing factors of depressive symptoms among undergraduate students at a Medical College in Guangzhou","author":"Yan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Med Soc"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"930","DOI":"10.1111\/jomf.12133","article-title":"Happy marriage, happy life? marital quality and subjective wellbeing in later life","volume":"5","author":"Rutgers","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Marrj Family."},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.15884\/j.cnki.issn.1007-0672.2017.04.014","article-title":"The effect of marriage on personal mental health:an empirical study on china health and retirement longitudinal study in 2011","volume":"38","author":"Wei","year":"2017","journal-title":"Northwest Popul J."},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.15937\/j.cnki.issn1001-8263.2014.02.013","article-title":"Super-hot moms: motherhood and women's rights in the individualization era","volume":"2","author":"Shen","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nanjing J Soc Sci."},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.16290\/j.cnki.1674-5205.2021.06.002","article-title":"Reflection on the feminist of the international legal standards of the right to work","volume":"39","author":"Lu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci Law."},{"key":"B50","volume-title":"Invisible Women","author":"Perez","year":"2022"},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136","DOI":"10.3390\/socsci6040136","article-title":"\u201cWidowed Child-Rearing\u201d: the motherhood dilemma and formation mechanism of the New-Generation urbans mothers","volume":"6","author":"Xu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ningxia Soc Sci"},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.13262\/j.bjsshkxy.bjshkx.191012","article-title":"Maternal dilemma and gender anxiety in the discourse of \u2018widowed child-rearing'","volume":"10","author":"Guo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Soc Sci Beijing."},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.16405\/j.cnki.1004-129X.2024.04.004","article-title":"Women's fertility penalties in China's labor market","volume":"46","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Popul J."},{"key":"B54","first-page":"1","article-title":"A Study on the influence of the universal two-child policy on female employment: based on the mediating effect of enterprise labor cost","volume":"5","author":"Zhang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Popul Econ."},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.13451\/j.cnki.shanxi.univ(phil.soc.).2018.05.014","article-title":"New thoughts on employment discrimination against professional women caused by the universal two-child policy","volume":"41","author":"Zhang","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Shanxi Univer."},{"key":"B56","first-page":"13","article-title":"Viewing the inequality between husband and wife in chinese cities from a diversified angle","author":"Zuo","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Chin Women's Stud"},{"key":"B57","unstructured":"The impact of gender role attitudes on fertility intentions following the implementation of the universal two-child policy115\n            LiY\n            LiCA\n          Northwest Popul J20242024"},{"key":"B58","first-page":"82","article-title":"Analysis on the fertility intention for additional births in the three-child policy era: viewing from quantity and certainty perspectives","volume":"38","author":"Qing","year":"2024","journal-title":"Chinese J Popul Sci"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"360","DOI":"10.1002\/wps.20773","article-title":"A meta-review of \u201clifestyle psychiatry\u201d: the role of exercise, smoking, diet and sleep in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders","volume":"19","author":"Firth","year":"2020","journal-title":"World Psychiatry."},{"key":"B60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2017.06.010","article-title":"Association between father involvement and attitudes in early child-rearing and depressive symptoms in the pre-adolescent period in a UK birth cohort","volume":"221","author":"Opondo","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1462179\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]],"date-time":"2024-09-25T12:29:12Z","timestamp":1727267352000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1462179\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]]},"references-count":60,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1462179"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1462179","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]]},"article-number":"1462179"}}