Negative Effects Of Maternal Depression Research Articles

Can social support mitigate the negative effects of maternal depression and family environment on child health and maternal care?

BackgroundChild health is a complex process affected by numerous risks and protective factors. This study examined how maternal depression, family environment, and social support affect a child's physical health and maternal care. MethodsThe retrospective cohort comprised 172 infants followed up during the first year of life in five longitudinal assessments. The Physical Health and Maternal Care Indicator (ISCM) was used to assess vaccination, nutrition, growth, diseases, and accidents during well-being consultations. We used a structural equation model (SEM) to examine the relationships between ISCM scores and family environment, maternal depression, and social support. ResultsMost children were born preterm (71.5 %) and with low birth weight (66.8 %). Most mothers were adults (89.6 %) and had a partner (63.4 %). In the latent variable of family environment, the following variables remained in the factor: single mothers, non-nuclear families, and inter-partner violence. Family environment was directly related to a higher occurrence of maternal depression (b = 1.20; p = 0.027) and worse scores on the ISCM (b = -0.24; p = 0.027). Maternal depression also negatively affected ISCM scores (b = 0.02, p = 0.003). Social support decreased maternal depressive symptoms and indirectly improved ISCM scores through maternal depression (b = 0.28; p = 0.04). LimitationLimited external generalization due to non-probabilistic sample. ConclusionsUnfavorable family environment, marked by violence against women, non-nuclear family composition, and single motherhood, negatively affected maternal mental health and child health in the first year of life. Social support received by the mother can mitigate the negative effects of maternal depression on the child's health, thereby improving the quality of maternal care.

Sex differences in the association between maternal depression and child and adolescent cognitive development: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Maternal depression is negatively associated with cognitive development across childhood and adolescence, with mixed evidence on whether this association differs in boys and girls. Herein, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of sex-specific estimates of the association between maternal depression and offspring cognitive outcomes. Seven databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest) were searched for studies examining the longitudinal association between maternal depression and offspring (up to 18 years) cognitive outcomes. Studies were screened and included based on predetermined criteria by two independent reviewers (Cohen's κ = 0.76). We used random-effects models to conduct a meta-analysis and used meta-regression for subgroup analyses. The PROSPERO record for the study is CRD42020161001. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Maternal depression was associated with poorer cognitive outcomes in boys [Hedges' g = -0.36 (95% CI -0.60 to -0.11)], but not in girls [-0.17 (-0.41 to 0.07)]. The association in boys varied as a function of the measure of depression used (b = -0.70, p = 0.005): when maternal depression was assessed via a diagnostic interview, boys [-0.84 (-1.23 to -0.44)] had poorer cognitive outcomes than when a rating scale was used [-0.16 (-0.36 to 0.04)]. This review and meta-analysis indicates that maternal depression is only significantly associated with cognitive outcomes in boys. Understanding the role of sex differences in the underlying mechanisms of this association can inform the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the negative effects of maternal depression on offspring cognitive outcomes.

Maternal depression impairs child emotion understanding and executive functions: The role of dysregulated maternal care across the first decade of life.

The long-term negative effects of maternal depression on child outcome are thought to be mediated in part by deficits in caregiving; yet, few studies utilized longitudinal cohorts and repeated observations to specify these links. We tested the impact of deficits in maternal regulatory caregiving across the first decade of life on children's emotional, social, and cognitive outcomes at 10 years. A community birth cohort was repeatedly assessed for maternal depression across the first year and again at 6 and 10 years. At 9 months, 6 years, and 10 years patterns of regulatory caregiving were assessed during mother-child interactions; at 6 and 10 years children underwent psychiatric diagnosis; and at 10 years children's emotion recognition (ERc), executive functions (EF), and social collaboration (SC) were evaluated. Depressed mothers displayed deficits to regulatory caregiving across development and their children exhibited more psychiatric disorders, lower SC, and impaired ERc. Structural equation modeling demonstrated both direct paths from dysregulated caregiving at 6 and 10 years to impaired child EF and ERc and mediated paths via child psychiatric disorder on all 3 outcomes. Effects of 9-month caregiving were only indirect, via child disorder, differentiating infants on risk versus resilient trajectories. Patterns of maternal caregiving were individually stable over time. Our findings demonstrate disruptions to core regulation-based abilities in children of depressed mothers beyond infancy, contribute to discussion on risk and resilience in the context of a distinct early life stress condition, and underscore late childhood as a period of specific vulnerabilities that should become a focus of targeted interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Disentangling the effects of intergenerational transmission of depression from adolescence to adulthood: the protective role of self-esteem.

This study aimed to disentangle time-stable and time-varying effects of maternal and paternal depression on trajectories of adolescent depression from ages 13 to 23 and examined whether self-esteem moderates the examined associations. Sex differences in the direct effects of parental depression and its interacted effects with self-esteem were further explored. Data were collected from a sample of 2502 adolescents and their parents participating in a panel study spanning from the year 2000 to 2009 in northern Taiwan. Multilevel modeling was conducted to disentangle the time-stable and time-varying effects of parental depression on adolescent depression. The moderating role of self-esteem and the potential sex differences in the transmission process were tested by adding two- and three-way interactions among parental depression, self-esteem, and sex of adolescents in the models. As predicted, significant time-stable intergenerational transmission of depression was found, indicating that adolescents of parents with higher levels of depression were at increased risks for depression. Self-esteem was further found to buffer the negative effects of maternal depression on development of depression in offspring. No sex-specific intergenerational transmission of depression was observed. In sum, both maternal and paternal depression contributed to elevated levels of adolescent depression. The effects of maternal depression, however, may not be uniform, but depend on levels of self-esteem. Intervention and prevention strategies that enhance self-esteem may help participants withstand the negative effects of maternal depression.

Perinatal depression and infant mental health

A mother's mental health during pregnancy and the first year postpartum is of the utmost importance to the cognitive, social, and emotional development of her child. Perinatal depression is associated with increased risk for wide-ranging adverse child development effects that can affect infant and early childhood mental health. Although effective treatments for perinatal depression exist, it is currently unclear if treatment of maternal depression alone is sufficient to ameliorate the negative effects of maternal depression on child outcomes. Interventions focused on the mother-infant relationship and dyadic interaction may be required to address the potential effect of maternal depression on the child. This paper provides an overview of maternal perinatal depression, the risk it poses for infant/early-childhood mental health, strategies for intervention that include mitigating depression and decreasing risk to the child, and implications for psychiatric nurses who work with perinatal women. Early identification and treatment of perinatal depression are critical to ensure optimal infant development and the child's future mental health.

Depressed Women of Low Socioeconomic Status Have High Numbers of Physician Visits in the Year Before Pregnancy: Implications for Care.

BackgroundThere is a higher prevalence of depression in women of low socioeconomic status (SES) than other women. Further, previous depression is the best predictor of future depression. Therefore, due to the negative effects of maternal depression on the fetus and subsequent child, particularly in combination with low SES, depression is ideally treated before pregnancy. During the year before pregnancy and by SES, we aimed to assess the odds of a physician visit associated with maternal depression and the mean number of physician visits in women by depressive status.MethodsWe used population-based registry data of 243,933 women with 348,273 singleton live births in British Columbia from 1999 - 2009 and estimated family SES decile using tax-file data. Mixed effects logistic regression, adjusting for maternal age and parity, was used to calculate odds ratios and a two-sided, two-sample test was used to compare proportions. STATA 14 was used for analyses.ResultsCompared to women of middle SES (Decile-6), women of low SES (from Decile-1, Decile-2) had higher odds of more than 20 physician visits whether depressed (aOR = 1.46 (95% CI: (1.15, 1.86); aOR = 1.26 (95% CI: (0.98, 1.61)) or non-depressed (aOR = 1.26 (95% CI: (1.13, 1.41); aOR = 1.24 (95% CI: (1.11, 1.38)) during the year before pregnancy. During pre-pregnancy, depressed women had more than three times the mean number of physician visits than non-depressed women: (8.56 (8.38, 8.73) versus (2.59 (2.57, 2.61), P < 0.00005.ConclusionsPhysicians have ample opportunities to assess women of child-bearing age for depression and to refer for appropriate treatment. It is particularly important that physicians pay extra attention to identify depression in those of lower SES who are likely to become pregnant. Further, identifying depression and providing appropriate referral for treatment in all women who are likely to become pregnant, are already pregnant or are caring for children is important. In such a way, the possible negative effects of prenatal and post-partum depression, along with the interactive effects of low SES on the child, might be reduced.

Postpartum Depression and Its Associated Factors among Women in Bandar Abbas City

Background: Postpartum depression with a different incidence of 40- 45% in different societies, which it has adverse effects on the health of mothers and their child, given the negative effects of maternal depression and its harmful effects on the baby and the quality of family life. So, this study was performed with the aim to determine postpartum depression and its associated factors in Bandar Abbas city. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 after obtaining consent from mothers by the census. A total of 343 mothers was examined for depression who referred to Bandar Abbas health centers in the 2nd and 4th months after childbirth. The data collection tools included demographic information and Postpartum Depression Edinburgh questionnaires. Finally, the statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 22.0) software and data were analyzed using the Independent t-test, Mann Whitney, Chi-square, and Fisher exact tests.Result: Totally, 68 (19.8%) of samples were in the second month and 54 (15.7%) in the fourth month after delivery had postpartum depression. The incidence of depression in the four months was 6.6%. There was a significant difference between depression and income, parental education, father’s use of cigarette and abnormalities of the infant (P &lt;0.001). There was no significant difference between other factors such as gestational age, infant sex, birth weight, unwanted pregnancy, and type of delivery. Conclusion: Regarding the prevalence of this disorder, it seems that postpartum depression screening planning should be considered during child routine care as an essential component, especially for vulnerable groups.

The effectiveness of the peer delivered Thinking Healthy Plus (THPP+) Programme for maternal depression and child socio-emotional development in Pakistan: study protocol for a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundThe negative effects of perinatal depression on the mother and child start early and persist throughout the lifecourse (Lancet 369(9556):145–57, 2007; Am J Psychiatry 159(1):43-7, 2002; Arch Dis Child 77(2):99–101, 1997; J Pak Med Assoc 60(4):329; J Psychosoma Res 49(3):207–16, 2000; Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 14(1):1–27, 2011). Given that 10–35 % of children worldwide are exposed to perinatal depression in their first year of life (Int Rev Psychiatry 8(1):37–54, 1996), mitigating this intergenerational risk is a global public health priority (Perspect Public Health 129(5):221–7, 2009; Trop Med Int Health 13(4):579–83, 2008; Br Med Bull 101(1):57–79, 2012). However, it is not clear whether intervention with depressed women can have long-term benefits for the mother and/or her child. We describe a study of the effectiveness of a peer-delivered depression intervention delivered through 36 postnatal months, the Thinking Healthy Program Peer-delivered PLUS (THPP+) for women and their children in rural Pakistan.Methods/designThe THPP+ study aims are: (1) to evaluate the effects of an extended 36-month perinatal depression intervention on maternal and index child outcomes using a cluster randomized controlled trial (c-RCT) and (2) to determine whether outcomes among index children of perinatally depressed women in the intervention arm converge with those of index children born to perinatally nondepressed women. The trial is designed to recruit 560 pregnant women who screened positive for perinatal depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10) from 40 village clusters, of which 20 receive the THPP+ intervention. An additional reference group consists of 560 perinatally nondepressed women from the same 40 clusters as the THPP+ trial. The women in the nondepressed group are not targeted to receive the THPP+ intervention; but, by recruiting pregnant women from both intervention and control clusters, we are able to evaluate any carryover effects of the THPP+ intervention on the women and their children. Perinatally depressed women in the THPP+ intervention arm receive bimonthly group-based sessions. Primary outcomes are 3-year maternal depression and 3-year child development indicators. Analyses are intention-to-treat and account for the clustered design.DiscussionThis trial, together with the reference group, has the potential to further our understanding of the early developmental lifecourse of children of both perinatally depressed and perinatally nondepressed women in rural Pakistan and to determine whether intervening with women’s depression in the perinatal period can mitigate the negative effects of maternal depression on 36-month child development.Trial registrationTHPP-P ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02111915 (registered on 9 April 2014).THPP+ ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02658994 (registered on 21 January 2016).Sponsor: Human Development Research Foundation (HDRF).Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1530-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Beyond screening: a review of pediatric primary care models to address maternal depression.

Depression is one of the most debilitating chronic disorders in the United States, affecting 15 million children in homes with depressed mothers, many of whom endure household chaos, inconsistent nurturing, inadequate safety practices, and harsh discipline. Depressed mothers are under diagnosed and undertreated, yet there is broad consensus about the importance of identifying and managing maternal depression, as reflected in recommendations by pediatric and obstetric professional organizations to routinely screen for perinatal depression. Screening was shown to be acceptable to women and most pediatric providers, and adding a screening component need not impair clinic efficiency. Screening, however, is not sufficient, and there are few models in the literature to guide medical practices in implementing successful interventions to identify, treat, and prevent maternal depression, particularly in the pediatric setting. We reviewed the literature and identified six studies that evaluated models for screening and managing mothers' depression in pediatric primary care settings. Some of these interventions have promise, but no studies characterized health outcomes of the depressed mothers and children. We discuss the components of these models, their implementation, and the practice and research needed to create effective pediatrics-based systems to reduce the negative effects of maternal depression on mothers, children, and families.

Recognizing and responding to parental mental health needs: What can we do now?

Early daily interactions in a child's life, frequent and positive, are crucial to optimal human development. The negative effects of maternal depression may include her perception of the child, the child's cognitive development and future antisocial behaviour. Emerging research investigating paternal depression is also concerning. Signs of maternal depression can be observed through either an intrusive or withdrawn maternal-infant interaction. The particular role of poverty, which affects so many Canadian families, is highlighted. Furthermore, the benefits and risks of screening for parental depression are discussed. Approaches available to the physician to address this issue using available resources are outlined.

Impact of maternal depression on pregnancies and on early attachment.

The relatively high prevalence and duration of depression in the prenatal and postpartum periods reinforce the need for better understanding of maternal depression. The purpose of this article is to explore the main effects of depression to pregnancies' outcome and to early attachment reviewing research from the last decade and to find the best way to prevent the negative effects of maternal depression to infants. Recent studies have reported significant associations between maternal depression and several adverse obstetric, fetal, and neonatal outcomes. Antenatal depression has been associated with shorter gestation and lower birth weight, with consequences for infant development. A number of studies have demonstrated an association between prenatal depression and attachment difficulties, which seems to play an important mediating role in the development of further adverse outcomes for children. This review reveals some potential risks of untreated depression during the antenatal and postnatal periods, with possibly significant implications for practice and further research. Considering the high prevalence of depression, antenatal detection of depressive symptoms and intervention before childbirth has huge importance in prevention. Early interventions also may need to focus on mother-infant interactions as a key factor of later child development.

The Long-Term Effects of Maternal Depression: Early Childhood Physical Health as a Pathway to Offspring Depression

Cross-sectional and retrospective studies have highlighted the long-term negative effects of maternal depression on offspring physical, social, and emotional development, but longitudinal research is needed to clarify the pathways by which maternal depression during pregnancy and early childhood affects offspring outcomes. The current study tested one developmental pathway by which maternal depression during pregnancy might negatively impact offspring mental health in young adulthood, via poor physical health in early childhood. The sample consisted of 815 Australian youth and their mothers who were followed for 20 years. Mothers reported on their own depressive symptoms during pregnancy and offspring early childhood. Youth completed interviews about health-related stress and social functioning at age 20 years, and completed a questionnaire about their own depressive symptoms 2 to 5 years later. Path analysis indicated that prenatal maternal depressive symptoms predicted worse physical health during early childhood for offspring, and this effect was partially explained by ongoing maternal depression in early childhood. Offspring poor physical health during childhood predicted increased health-related stress and poor social functioning at age 20. Finally, increased health-related stress and poor social functioning predicted increased levels of depressive symptoms later in young adulthood. Maternal depression had a significant total indirect effect on youth depression via early childhood health and its psychosocial consequences. Poor physical health in early childhood and its effects on young adults' social functioning and levels of health related stress is one important pathway by which maternal depression has long-term consequences for offspring mental health.

Maternal attachment feelings mediate between maternal reports of depression, infant social–emotional development, and parenting stress

Objective: The current study examined whether having a positive maternal postpartum depression screening was associated with maternal report of poorer infant social–emotional development and more negative maternal report of parent–child interaction, and whether scores on a measure of maternal feelings of attachment influenced this relationship. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-two first-time mothers and their infants were assessed using self-reporting questionnaires when infants were 2 and 6 months of age. At 2 months, mothers were screened for postpartum depression and their feelings of attachment to their infants were also measured. At 6 months, mothers reported on infant social–emotional development and the parent–child interaction. Results: Findings revealed an association between having a positive screening for maternal depression at 2 months, and reports of both at-risk infant social–emotional development and parent–child dysfunctional interaction at 6 months. Further analyses indicated that maternal feelings of attachment mediated rather than moderated these relationships. Conclusions: These results suggest that the association of maternal postpartum depression with later child outcomes may be the result of the negative effects of maternal depression on maternal feelings of attachment to her infant.

Maternal depression and dyadic interaction: the role of maternal attachment style

AbstractMaternal mental health and the contents of her representational world are important determinants of early parent–child relationship. We examined, first, the role of prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms and maternal attachment style in predicting the quality of mother–child interaction. Second, we analysed whether the secure‐autonomous attachment style can protect the dyadic interaction from the negative effects of maternal depression. The participants were 59 mother–infant pairs examined during pregnancy (T1), 4–5 months postpartum (T2) and when the children were approximately 14 months old (T3). Maternal attachment style was assessed with a modified Adult Attachment Interview ‐procedure, depressive symptoms with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and observed mother–child interaction with Care Index. The results show that autonomous mothers were more sensitive and responsive and their children more co‐operative than dyads with dismissing maternal attachment style. As hypothesized, mothers with the combination of both prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms were highly unresponsive in their dyadic interaction. Further, prenatal depressive symptoms had a stronger impact on maternal unresponsiveness than postnatal symptoms. As hypothesized, mother's autonomous attachment style protected the mother–child interaction from the negative impact of maternal postnatal depressive symptoms, whereas dyads with preoccupied mothers were especially at risk for interaction problems when mothers had postpartum depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Influences of maternal postpartum depression on fathers and on father-infant interaction.

Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) has been shown to negatively influence mother-infant interaction; however, little research has explored how fathers and father-infant interaction are affected when a mother is depressed. This study examined the influence of maternal PPD on fathers and identified maternal and paternal factors associated with father-infant interaction in families with depressed as compared with nondepressed mothers. A convenience sample of 128 mother-father-infant triads, approximately half of which included women with significant symptoms of PPD at screening, were recruited from a screening sample of 790 postpartum women. Mothers and fathers completed measures of depression, marital satisfaction, and parenting stress at 2 to 3 months' postpartum and were each videotaped interacting with their infants. Results indicate that maternal PPD is associated with increased paternal depression and higher paternal parenting stress. Partners of depressed women demonstrated less optimal interaction with their infants, indicating that fathers do not compensate for the negative effects of maternal depression on the child. Although mother-infant interaction did not influence father-infant interaction, how the mother felt about her relationship with the infant did, even more so than maternal depression. The links between maternal PPD, fathers, and father-infant interaction indicate a need for further understanding of the reciprocal influences between mothers, fathers, and infants.