The Timing of Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Mothers' Parenting Practices With Young Children: Implications for Pediatric Practice

Abstract Abstract 1397 Poster Board I-419 Background: Caregivers of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) have high levels of stress and depression. Students with SCD have a higher prevalence of behavioral and cognitive deficits compared to healthy students. Adaptive skills are particularly important for children with chronic disease because they are the skills needed to transition into independent adulthood. We hypothesize that (1) Maternal depressive symptoms are associated with decreased adaptive skills in children with SCD, and (2) This association will be mediated by the association between maternal depression and the provision of lower levels of competence promoting parenting. Methods: We completed a cross-sectional analysis of a single center prospective cohort study. Adaptive skills of children with SCD were assessed by parent report of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC). The BASC reflects the child's adaptive skills by 5 key adaptive scales: adaptability, activities of daily living, functional communication, social skills, and leadership. Maternal risk for depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We completed structured interviews of the mothers to assess parenting quality. Effective parenting was characterized by high levels of support, involvement, monitoring, and low levels of ongoing conflict. A path analysis using ordinary least squares was used for statistical analysis. Results: 48 children with SCD and their mothers were evaluated. 52% of the children were male; mean age was 12 yrs (Range 6-16). 25% of the children repeated a grade level in school. The mothers' mean age was 38 yrs (Range 27-59) and the average yearly household income per capita was $7,133 (Range 708- 22,800). 60% of the children received healthcare via Medicaid. 20% of the mothers were at risk for depression.12.5% of the children had clinically significant deficits in adaptive skills and18.8% of the children were considered “at risk.” There was a moderate correlation between maternal depression and child adaptive skills (r = .481, p=.01). A path analysis revealed that in the presence of parenting, the association between maternal depression and child adaptive skills is no longer significant. The effect of maternal depression is mediated by depression induced decrements in competence promoting parenting practices (Fig. 1). Medicaid was associated with higher maternal depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Our preliminary data provide direct evidence that maternal depression is associated with proximal parenting practices that are associated with child adaptive skills. Parenting practices can be modified through education and family support and serve as a potential intervention target for moderating the effects of maternal depression on child adaptive skills in this vulnerable population. Maternal depressive symptoms have a negative association with proximal parenting processes that are linked to adaptive skills in children with SCD. Stronger parenting indices are associated with better adaptive skills. In the presence of parenting, the direct association between maternal depression and adaptive skills is no longer significant. Disclosures: Brody: NIH: Research Funding. White: NIH: Research Funding. King: NIH-NHLBI: Research Funding; Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Research Funding.

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Optimism and pessimism in children: A study of parenting correlates

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1080/01650250114300003 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 185-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Naheed Hasan ◽

Thomas G. Power

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Control Structure ◽

Community Sample ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Multiple Regressions ◽

Autonomy Granting ◽

Parenting Dimensions

The present study investigated the relation between mothers’ generalised expectancies, mothers’ self-reported parenting practices, and their children’s optimism, pessimism, and depressive symptoms. A community sample of 81 children, 8–12 years old, and their mothers participated. Questionnaires were used to assess four parenting dimensions (control, structure, support, and autonomy granting), as well as mothers’ and children’s optimism, pessimism, and depressive symptoms. Results showed that maternal pessimism correlated with child pessimism, and that maternal depressive symptoms correlated negatively with child optimism. Multiple regressions indicated that mothers who were moderately controlling had children who showed the most optimism, whereas those who allowed their children little autonomy in problem solving had children with the highest level of depressive symptoms.

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A Refined Model of Stress–Diathesis Relationships in Mothers With Significant Depressive Symptom Severity

Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association ◽

10.1177/1078390319877228 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 107839031987722

Author(s):

Yui Matsuda ◽

Todd A. Schwartz ◽

YunKyung Chang ◽

Linda S. Beeber

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Young Children ◽

Family Stress ◽

Linear Trend ◽

Pairwise Comparison ◽

Well Being ◽

Stress Factors ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Number Of Children ◽

Comparison Results

BACKGROUND: Mothers’ depressive symptoms affect their children’s growth as well as physical and mental well-being. Moreover, mothers of young children with developmental delay or disability (DD) tend to have higher depressive symptoms. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between maternal depressive symptoms and number of children with DD among mothers with significant levels of depressive symptoms, while accounting for maternal diathesis factors and family stress factors. METHOD: This study was a secondary analysis of pooled baseline data collected from 2004 to 2012 in the northeastern and southeastern United States from three intervention studies to reduce depressive symptoms of mothers with young children ( n = 364). Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between maternal depressive symptoms and number of children with DD, followed by the post hoc pairwise comparison. RESULTS: In the model including family stress factors, we found a significant test for linear trend in the mean for maternal depressive symptoms across the number of children with DD ( F[1] = 4.3, p = .0388). CONCLUSIONS: Mothers who have multiple children with DD tend to experience higher depressive symptoms; thus, interventions are needed to help prevent these mothers from experiencing higher depressive symptoms or to reduce their current depressive symptoms. Both theory-based and strength-based interventions can target conflict management at the family level, reducing maternal depressive symptoms while improving mothers’ self-efficacy, which would help mothers care for their own health, manage family conflict, and seek appropriate support to manage the children’s medical and developmental needs.

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