Faculty Opinions recommendation of Children of depressed mothers 1 year after remission of maternal depression: findings from the STAR*D-Child study.

Research has shown that offspring of depressed caregivers are at increased risk for maladaptive development and emotional difficulties. Specifically, infants and toddlers of depressed mothers have been shown to evidence higher percentages of insecure attachments and more behavioral difficulties than offspring of nondisordered mothers. However, even in studies that reveal significant differences between children of depressed and nondepressed caregivers, a substantial number of children with depressed caregivers do not evidence dysfunction. Such findings have resulted in increased attention to the broader social context in which children of depressed mothers develop. This investigation examined the direct influences of maternal depression on child development, as well as the role of contextual risks that may be particularly heightened in families with depressed parents. Toddlers with depressed mothers evidenced significantly more insecure attachments than did toddlers with nondisordered mothers, and this difference was not accounted for by contextual risk. In predicting child behavior problems, contextual risk was found to mediate the relation between maternal depression and child behavior problems. Father-report data on child behavior corroborated the mother report data. Results are discussed in terms of the diversity of functioning in offspring of depressed caregivers that can be attributed to varied levels of contextual risk accompanying depression.

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Family life stress, maternal depression and child behavioral health in industrialized Italian cities

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.122 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

E Bansal ◽

S Renzetti ◽

N Xhani ◽

G Cagna ◽

M Conversano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Maternal Depression ◽

Behavioral Health ◽

Family Life ◽

Internalizing Problems ◽

Life Stress ◽

Externalizing Problems ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Italian Version ◽

Depressed Mothers

Abstract Although family life stress adversely impacts child health, few tools measure its relationship to child outcomes in the setting of maternal variables. This study validates the Italian version of Crisis in Family Systems-Revised (CRISYS-R) and characterizes relationships between family life stress, maternal depression and child behavior in two Italian cities. This cross-sectional study was nested in current research on health impacts of neurotoxic environmental exposures in children. 101 mother-child pairs (child age=9.91±2.17yrs; 53% female) and children's teachers were enrolled in Taranto (south Italy) and Brescia (north Italy). Mothers performed the Italian CRISYS-R and PHQ9; teachers completed Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients showed associations of family CRISYS-R, maternal PHQ9 and child CBCL/6-18. Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test compared groups of continuous variables. Mothers with depressive symptoms (PHQ9≥5) reported higher ongoing stress and proportion of negative stressors on CRISYS-R than non-depressed mothers (p < 0.05). Children of depressed mothers performed worse in all CBCL/6-18 domains: Internalizing Problems, Externalizing Problems and Total Problems (p < 0.01). Specifically, children of depressed mothers scored higher on subscales of Anxious-Depressed (p < 0.05), Withdrawn-Depressed (p < 0.01), Rule-Breaking (p < 0.01) and Aggressive Behavior (p < 0.05). Maternal depressive symptoms correlated with ongoing stress (rs = 0.27; p < 0.01), child Internalizing Problems (rs = 0.34; p < 0.001), Externalizing Problems (rs = 0.28; p < 0.01) and Total Problems (rs = 0.35; p < 0.001). This study describes links among maternal depression, family life stress, and child behavioral health. It is first to validate Italian CRISYS-R and to explore these factors conjointly in Italian contexts with known neurotoxic exposures. Findings support considering maternal depression and family life stress in child behavioral and environmental health research and policy. Key messages Family life stress, maternal depressive symptoms, and preadolescent behavioral health were highly interrelated in two industrialized Italian cities. The Italian version of CRISYS-R is a useful instrument for assessing and understanding family life stress, a crucial yet under-explored contributor to child behavioral health outcomes.

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Developmental cascade effects of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed mothers: Longitudinal associations with toddler attachment, temperament, and maternal parenting efficacy

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579417000219 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 601-615 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Elizabeth D. Handley ◽

Louisa C. Michl-Petzing ◽

Fred A. Rogosch ◽

Dante Cicchetti ◽

Sheree L. Toth

Keyword(s):

Maternal Depression ◽

Causal Effect ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Interpersonal Psychotherapy ◽

Control Group ◽

Parenting Efficacy ◽

Positive Adaptation ◽

Maternal Parenting ◽

Depressed Mothers ◽

Cascade Effects

AbstractUsing a developmental cascades framework, the current study investigated whether treating maternal depression via interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) may lead to more widespread positive adaptation for offspring and mothers including benefits to toddler attachment and temperament, and maternal parenting self-efficacy. The participants (N= 125 mother–child dyads; mean mother age at baseline = 25.43 years; 54.4% of mothers were African American; mean offspring age at baseline = 13.23 months) were from a randomized controlled trial of IPT for a sample of racially and ethnically diverse, socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers of infants. Mothers were randomized to IPT (n= 97) or an enhanced community standard control group (n= 28). The results of complier average causal effect modeling showed that engagement with IPT led to significant decreases in maternal depressive symptoms at posttreatment. Moreover, reductions in maternal depression posttreatment were associated with less toddler disorganized attachment characteristics, more adaptive maternal perceptions of toddler temperament, and improved maternal parenting efficacy 8 months following the completion of treatment. Our findings contribute to the emerging literature documenting the potential benefits to children of successfully treating maternal depression. Alleviating maternal depression appears to initiate a cascade of positive adaptation among both mothers and offspring, which may alter the well-documented risk trajectory for offspring of depressed mothers.

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Relative impact of maternal depression and associated risk factors on offspring psychopathology

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.111.092346 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 200 (2) ◽

pp. 124-129 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

Edward D. Barker ◽

William Copeland ◽

Barbara Maughan ◽

Sara R. Jaffee ◽

Rudolf Uher

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Maternal Depression ◽

Maternal Mental Health ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Clinically Depressed ◽

Internalising Disorders ◽

Depressed Mothers

BackgroundIn general, mothers with depression experience more environmental and family risk factors, and lead riskier lifestyles, than mothers who are not depressed.AimsTo test whether the exposure of a child to risk factors associated with mental health adds to the prediction of child psychopathology beyond exposure to maternal depression.MethodIn 7429 mother–offspring pairs participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in the UK, maternal depression was assessed when the children were aged 1.5 years; multiple risk factor exposures were examined between birth and 2 years of age; and DSM-IV-based externalising and internalising diagnoses were evaluated when the children were 7.5 years of age.ResultsChildren of clinically depressed mothers were exposed to more risk factors associated with maternal mental health. Maternal depression increased diagnoses of externalising and internalising disorders, but a substantial portion of these associations was explained by increased risk factor exposure (41% for externalising and 37% for internalising disorders). At the same time, these risk exposures significantly increased the odds of both externalising and internalising diagnoses, over and above the influence of maternal depression.ConclusionsChildren of clinically depressed mothers are exposed to both maternal psychopathology and risks that are associated with maternal mental health. These results may explain why treating mothers with depression shows beneficial effects for children, but does not completely neutralise the increased risk of psychopathology and impairment.

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Dyadic play behaviors of children of well and depressed mothers

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579400005289 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 243-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Kenneth H. Rubin ◽

Lilly Both ◽

Carolyn Zahn-Waxler ◽

E. Mark Cummings ◽

Margaret Wilkinson

Keyword(s):

Maternal Depression ◽

Free Play ◽

Social Inhibition ◽

Strange Situation ◽

Infant Attachment ◽

Attachment Relationship ◽

Child Attachment ◽

Security Of Attachment ◽

Play Behaviors ◽

Depressed Mothers

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine the relations among maternal depression, security of attachment, and peer interactive behaviors in early childhood. Drawing from the literature, we posited that socially inhibited play behaviors in childhood would be associated with maternal depression as well as with an insecure mother-child attachment relationship. Forty-three 5-year-olds and their mothers participated in the study. There were 21 depressed and 22 affectively well mothers. Security of attachment was assessed via a variation of the Strange Situation procedure when the children were 2 years old. At 5 years of age the children were observed during free play with a familiar same-sex agemate. Results supported the hypotheses that social inhibition is associated with maternal depression and with an insecure mother-infant attachment relationship.

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