Portrait of a happy mom.

Moms who work outside the home at least part-time report being happier and healthier than moms who stay at home, according to a study published in the month’s issue of the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Family Psychology.

For the article, researchers looked at the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development long-term study with interviews of more than 1,300 moms beginning in 1991 after their child’s birth and subsequent interviews over the span of 10 years.

“Since part-time work seems to contribute to the strength and well-being of families, it would be beneficial to employers if they provide fringe benefits, at least proportionally, to part-time employees as well as offer them career ladders through training and promotion,” study co-author Marion O’Brien of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, said in a press release.

Moms who worked part time reported better overall health and fewer signs of depression than stay-at-home moms. There were no significant differences in health and depression between moms who worked part time and those who worked full time.

Moms who worked part time reported being as involved with their child’s school as stay-at-home moms, but full-time working moms did not.

The study looked at mothers from ten different locations across the country. Part-time work was defined as between one and 32 hours per week.

As an aside: Does anyone know of any good studies comparing stay-at-home moms with daycare professionals? Any stay-at-home mom would tell you taking care of a child 24-7 is hard, much harder than the usual 9-5. A daycare worker taking care of a kid eight hours a day, five days a week might agree with her.