Abstract
BackgroundMaternal depression is associated with impairments in child behavioural and emotional development, although the effect of exposure to maternal depression until adolescence is underexplored in most studies. This longitudinal study examined the association between maternal depressive symptoms trajectories and offspring socioemotional competences at age 11. MethodsWe included 3,437 11-year-old adolescents from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed during the follow-up waves. Adolescent socioemotional competences were peer relationship problems and prosocial behaviour, both assessed by Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Locus of Control (LoC), assessed by Nowick-Strickland Internal-External Scale. We used multivariate linear and logistic regression models to examine the effects of maternal depression trajectories on offspring's socioemotional competences, adjusting for potential confounding variables. ResultsWe identified five trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms: a “low” trajectory (32.6%), a “moderate low” (42.2%), a “increasing” (11.1%), a “decreasing” (9.2%), and a “high-chronic” trajectory (4.9%). Adolescents whose mothers had persistent depressive symptoms, either intermediate or high, had greater levels of peer relationship problems and lower levels of prosocial behaviour than those whose mothers had low depressive symptoms. These differences were not explained by socioeconomic, maternal, and child characteristics. Maternal depressive symptoms during offspring's life was not a predictor of LoC orientation. LimitationsNearly 20% of original cohort were not included in the analysis due to missing data. Adolescent's socioemotional competences were ascertained by maternal report. ConclusionOur study extended the evidences of the negative impact of severe and recurrent maternal depression on offspring's socioemotional competences until early adolescence.
Highlights
Maternal depression after childbirth is a common psychiatric disorder, affecting between 10 to nearly 20% of women in high- and lowor middle-income countries, respectively (Fisher et al, 2012; Howard et al, 2014)
Data about the outcomes and main exposure were available for 3437 individuals (81.2% of the original cohort).Women who were included in the present study were more educated, were less likely to be single, to be in the lowest quintile of income, multiparous and to present mood symptoms during pregnancy
The present study strengthens the evidences of negative impact of severe and recurrent maternal depression on offspring's socioemotional competences
Summary
Maternal depression after childbirth is a common psychiatric disorder, affecting between 10 to nearly 20% of women in high- and lowor middle-income countries, respectively (Fisher et al, 2012; Howard et al, 2014) It is associated with a variety of individual and contextual risk factors, such as previous depressive episode, low socioeconomic status, lack of social support, marital difficulties and single-parent household (Ashman et al, 2008; Goodman et al, 2011). Adolescents whose mothers had persistent depressive symptoms, either intermediate or high, had greater levels of peer relationship problems and lower levels of prosocial behaviour than those whose mothers had low depressive symptoms These differences were not explained by socioeconomic, maternal, and child characteristics. Conclusion: Our study extended the evidences of the negative impact of severe and recurrent maternal depression on offspring's socioemotional competences until early adolescence
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