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Background: Parenthood represents a major life transition with significant implications for mental health, particularly among females and individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES). As fertility rates continue to decline across countries such as Norway, it has become increasingly important to understand the factors that promote positive parenthood experiences.

Aims: This study examines how parenthood affects mental health and whether these effects vary by timing of parenthood, gender, parental SES, and own SES, while accounting for selection into parenthood.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behavior Study (NLHBS), focusing on the 2000, 2007, and 2017 waves. Life satisfaction and depressive tendencies were assessed at ages 30 and 40. Bayesian multigroup structural equation models by gender were estimated to investigate associations between parenthood timing (age 23–30 and age 30–40), own and parental SES, and mental health.

Results: Early parenthood (age 23–30) was associated with higher life satisfaction at age 40 for both genders. Early parenthood was linked to lower depressive tendencies in midlife compared to later parenthood among females, but not among males. Selection effects were evident: higher life satisfaction at age 23 predicted early parenthood for both genders, and females’ own education at age 30 predicted later parenthood.

Conclusion: Parenthood was associated with greater life satisfaction in midlife. Between-gender and SES differences were not credible. Overall, the findings link parenthood to improved adult mental health in a Nordic context and emphasize the importance of preventive and health promotion efforts in addressing health-related selection into parenthood.