Extended paid maternity leave led to 22% drop in Hong Kong’s postnatal depression cases
University of Hong Kong’s Dr Quan Jianchao says study shows ‘even modest change in policy’ can lead to positive mental health benefits
Hong Kong researchers have found the city’s extension of paid maternity leave by four weeks in 2020 contributed to a 22 per cent decrease in the number of mothers suffering from postnatal depression.
The University of Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine said on Wednesday that a recent joint study also showed the policy change had led to a 33 per cent drop in women who reported that their mental health had affected childcare.
Dr Quan Jianchao, a clinical assistant professor at the university’s school of public health who jointly led the study, said: “Even a modest change in policy – an additional four weeks of paid leave – was associated with significant mental health benefits.”
The study was first published in healthcare journal Health Affairs in May and involved collaborations with Singapore’s Duke-NUS Medical School and the University of British Columbia in Canada.
In December 2020, Hong Kong increased paid maternity leave from 10 weeks to 14, bringing it in line with the minimum recommended standards set out by UN agency International Labour Organization.
