The Role of Parenting Stress as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Early Childhood Internalizing Behaviour.

Abstract

Parenting stress occurs when demands of the parenting role are perceived as overwhelming and has been proposed as a mechanism through which postpartum mood disturbances may impact child psychopathology. In a prospective longitudinal birth cohort of 111 birthing parent-child dyads, this study examined whether the relationship between birthing parents' mood symptoms in infancy (3months postpartum) and their child's internalizing behaviour in early childhood (3 and 6years old) is mediated by parenting stress at 6months postpartum. The relationship between higher postpartum mood symptoms at 3months and increased internalizing behaviour at 3years of age was mediated by increased reports of parenting stress at 6months (b = .12, 95% CI = .02, .25). This association was not evident at 6years. Parenting stress in early infancy may provide a treatment target to reduce the impact of perinatal depression on early child behavior.