Like mother, like child? Maternal determinants of children's early social‐emotional development

Abstract

Social‐Emotional competencies evolve early in life. For example, early emotion regulation is learned primarily in the context of mother–child interaction, which may allow for maternal influences to shape children's social‐emotional development. The aim of the current study was to longitudinally examine maternal determinants of children's early social‐emotional development in a community‐based sample of first‐time mothers (N = 61, aged 22–39 years). Specifically, we used structural equation modeling to examine how maternal emotion regulation difficulties and subclinical depression directly and indirectly, through sensitivity and postnatal bonding, assessed at 6 to 8 months predicted child outcomes at 12 to 16 months. We found that mothers’ sensitivity predicted fewer social‐emotional and behavioral problems and that stronger bonding predicted fewer problems and more social‐emotional competencies. Emotion regulation difficulties were significantly associated with depressive symptoms; yet, when accounting for shared variances, both factors differentially predicted less positive child outcomes such that more difficulties indirectly, through poorer bonding, predicted greater delay in competencies, and more symptoms indirectly, through less sensitivity, predicted more problems. Current findings underline the significance of maternal factors impacting the quality of mother–child interaction for children's positive development. Potential implications for early prevention programs to support children who are otherwise at risk for negative emotional outcomes due to mothers’ emotional state postpartum are discussed.

Chronic Depression Alters Mothers’ DHEA and DEHA-to-Cortisol Ratio: Implications for Maternal Behavior and Child Outcomes

“…This pattern of response predicted maternal depressive disorder, which in turn was related to poorer infant development. It has been reported that mothers’ sensitivity is related to bonding and social and emotional behavioral problems ( 53 ). Thus, maternal factors impacting the quality of mother-child interaction are important for children’s positive social-emotional development.…”

Determinants of Maternal Emotion Socialization: Based on Belsky’s Process of Parenting Model

“…Among those symptoms, maternal depression is most studied, since major depression disorder is particularly prevalent in mothers (Kessler, 2003). One study supports this relation by showing that maternal depression is negatively associated with their own sensitive response toward their children's emotion expression (Behrendt et al, 2019). Another study added anxiety in addition to depression and found that both symptoms correlate with lower emotional awareness of their children (Moreira et al, 2019).…”

Pre-natal Attachment and Parent-To-Infant Attachment: A Systematic Review

“…Parent-to-infant attachment emerges as an important factor contributing to the quality of the subsequent reciprocal relationship, as well as to the well-being and the development of the child (Young, 2013;Parfitt et al, 2014). A stronger parentto-infant attachment promotes the child's social, cognitive, and behavioral development (Schenk et al, 2005;Mason et al, 2011;Ip et al, 2018) as well as better mother-child interactions which in turn improve child's emotional regulation (Klaus and Kennell, 1982;Cigoli et al, 2006;Mason et al, 2011;Behrendt et al, 2018Behrendt et al, , 2019Brake et al, 2020;Ponti et al, 2020). In addition, parents with higher levels of parent-to-infant attachment have higher responsiveness and sensitivity, which promote the development of a child's secure attachment and the infant's exploration of the environment maintaining an appropriate level of stimulation (Ainsworth et al, 1971;Solomon and George, 1996;Siddiqui and Hägglöf, 2000;Sandbrook and Adamson-Macedo, 2004;Blair et al, 2006;Rossen et al, 2019).…”