Maternal depression and infant temperament characteristics

Abstract

One hundred-thirty-nine women participated in this longitudinal study from the third trimester of pregnancy through 8-months postpartum. Women completed depression scales at several time points and rated their infant's characteristics and childcare stress at 2-and 6-months postpartum. Mothers' reports of infant temperament were significantly different for depressed and non-depressed mothers, with depressed mothers reporting more difficult infants at both measurement points. These differences remained after controlling for histories of maternal abuse or prenatal anxiety, which occurred more often in the depressed mothers. There were no significant differences in childcare stress or perceived support between the groups. Infant temperament and childcare stress did not change over time. Recommendations for practice include consistent ongoing evaluations of the "goodness of fit" within the dyad and exploring interventions for depressed mothers that provide guidance about interactions with their infants and the appropriateness of the infant behaviors. Keywords maternal; infant; temperament; depression; stress; parenting Postpartum depression has the potential for long lasting effects for both the mother and the infant. No one schema for describing the etiology and presentation for postpartum depression has been identified. What is known is that many different risk factors have been found to be at least moderately correlated with the presentation of postpartum depression (Beck, 2006). Included in these are a history of depression (preconception or prenatal), high stress level, high anxiety, and little or no social support. Although no single factor can be attributed to predicating postpartum depression, the combination of factors does seem very important in understanding both the short and long term outcomes as well as what strategies might be best for intervention.Caring for a newborn can be a joyous event that comes with new responsibilities and burdens often related to juggling the needs of the child with the personal needs of the mother and family. Most mothers assimilate these new responsibilities with the other tasks of daily living. As the assimilation occurs, synchronicity in the mother-infant relationship develops (Coplan O'Neil, & Arbeau, 2005;Rothbart, & Bates, 1998). Synchronicity in this relationship supports optimal growth and development for the child (Jacobson & Melvin, 1995;Rothbart, & Bates, 1998). However, for the mother with postpartum Lead and Corresponding Author: Dr. Jacqueline McGrath, School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO BOX 980567, Richmond, VA 23298, jmmcgrath@vcu.edu, (804) 828 -1930 Office, (804) 828 -7743 Fax. Note: This research was conducted in accordance with APA ethical standards in the treatment of the study sample.Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetti...

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