scholarly journals Testing the role of the timing and chronicity of maternal depressive symptoms in the associations with child behaviour and development

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 678-686
Author(s):  
Katrina M. Moss ◽  
Annette J. Dobson ◽  
Gita D. Mishra
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Marilyn N. Ahun ◽  
Lamprini Psychogiou ◽  
Frédéric Guay ◽  
Michel Boivin ◽  
Richard E. Tremblay ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Maternal depressive symptoms (MDSs) are negatively associated with children's academic performance, with stronger effects sometimes reported in boys. However, few studies have tested the mechanisms of this association. We examined the mediating role of school engagement and peer victimization in this association and tested for sex differences. Methods Participants were 1173 families from a population-based longitudinal Canadian study. MDSs were self-reported annually using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (child's age: 5 months to 5 years). Data on mediators (peer victimization, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional school engagement) were reported annually from ages 6–10 by multiple informants including children, parents, and teachers using items from validated scales. Mathematics, reading, and writing exam scores at age 12 were obtained from standardized exams administered by Québec's Ministry of Education and Teaching. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation by school experiences in boys and girls. Results Exposure to MDSs was negatively associated with mathematics, reading, and writing scores in girls and with mathematics only in boys. Cognitive and behavioral engagement significantly mediated the association between MDSs and mathematics, reading, and writing scores in girls. There were no significant mediators for boys. Conclusions Prevention and intervention strategies aiming to improve school engagement might be beneficial for daughters of mothers experiencing depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to replicate these findings and to identify the mechanisms explaining this association in boys.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Cerniglia ◽  
F. Dentale ◽  
R. Tambelli ◽  
L. Murray ◽  
P. Cooper ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Maternal sub-threshold and non-clinical depression and its possible outcomes on offspring internalizing/externalizing symptoms has received growing attention in recent years because of its significant worldwide prevalence. Methods Through a Latent State-Trait Analysis approach (LST), this longitudinal study aimed to identify a stable component of non-clinical maternal depression across a temporal interval of 6 years (measured through the Symptom Check-List-90/R) and to determine the effect of this component on children’s emotional and behavioral functioning (measured through the Child Behaviour Check-List) at age 12 years. Results LST analysis showed that maternal depressive symptoms tended to remain stable within individuals across 6 years of observation strongly contributing to children’s internalizing/externalizing and dysregulation symptoms. Conclusions The current longitudinal analysis of maternal and child data revealed that a stable component of maternal depressive symptoms reliably predicted a wide range of child emotional and behavioral symptoms at 12 years of age.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Rigato ◽  
Sophia Charalambous ◽  
Manuela Stets ◽  
Karla Holmboe

Postnatal maternal depression is associated with negative developmental outcomes in infancy and childhood. In a longitudinal study, mothers (N=63) completed questionnaires about their own depressive symptoms and their child’s behaviour at four time-points during the first year postpartum and again at 3 years postpartum. Maternal depressive symptoms and infant temperament measured in the first year of life by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck et al., 1996) and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire – Revised, Very Short Form (Putnam et al., 2014), respectively, were related to child behaviour at 3 years of age as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997). Maternal depressive scores during infancy was associated with later child conduct problems, suggesting a long-term association between maternal mental health and the development of child behaviour. Temperament across the first year of life was also associated with behavioural outcomes at 3 years of age: whereas infant negative affect predicted child conduct problems, infant surgency was associated with hyperactivity, and, along with infant orienting/regulatory capacity, also with child prosocial behaviour. These findings highlight the need for identification of those mothers and infants who struggle in the first postnatal year and for early interventions that can support optimal child development.


2011 ◽  
Vol 65 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A55-A55
Author(s):  
L. Giles ◽  
V. Moore ◽  
M. Whitrow ◽  
M. Warin ◽  
M. Davies

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document