While we have long extolled the upside of a life spent balancing work and family, we have also been well aware that many moms struggle with feelings of guilt over the amount of time they are able to spend with their children. But new research from the American Psychological Association suggests that working moms are less likely to report feelings of depression and conflict than their stay-at-home sisters.

A study of 1,364 mothers published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that both full-time and part-time moms report "better overall health and fewer symptoms of depression" than non-working moms. What's more, part-time work was shown to have a significant (and positive) effect on a mom's perception of herself.

"In all cases with significant differences in maternal well-being, such as conflict between work and family or parenting, the comparison favored part-time work over full-time or not working," said lead author Cheryl Buehler, PhD, professor of human development and family studies, at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. "However, in many cases the well-being of moms working part time was no different from moms working full time."

Now, we love it that moms have more choices than ever before, but data like this sure does support the argument that a fulfilling professional and family life need not be mutually exclusive.

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