Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Maternal Behavior, and Toddler Internalizing Outcomes: A Moderated Mediation Model

Hummel, Alexandra C.; Kiel, Elizabeth J.

doi:10.1007/s10578-014-0448-4

Cited by 18 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Only a few studies have jointly considered the effects of pre-partum and postpartum depressive symptoms on child emotional and behavioral characteristics. Some investigations have suggested that temperamental and behavioral difficulties are related more strongly to postnatal than prenatal exposure to maternal depression and emotional stress [3, 24, 25]. These findings are consistent with those of Bagner et al [26], who concluded that the first year of life may be regarded a “sensitive period” in terms of the effects of maternal depressive symptoms on child’s emotion regulation.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Assessing longitudinal pathways between maternal depressive symptoms, parenting self-esteem and infant temperament

2019

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Background Previous studies of relations between parenting self-concepts, parental adjustment and child temperament have been ambiguous regarding the direction of influence; and have rarely followed families from pregnancy through the first year of life. The current study examines change and stability in maternal depressive symptoms, parenting competences and child temperament through the perinatal period until nine months postpartum. Methods Czech mothers (N = 282) participated at three time points: the third trimester of pregnancy (Time 1), six weeks (Time 2) and nine months postpartum (Time 3). Questionnaire data concerned depressive symptoms (T1, T2, T3), maternal parenting self-esteem (T1, T2) and sense of competence (T3), and child temperament (T2, T3). A path model was used to examine concurrent and longitudinal relations between these variables. Results The analyses indicated longitudinal stability of all constructs, as well as concurrent relations between them. Longitudinal relations supported child-to-parent, rather than parent-to-child, effects: child difficult temperament predicted decreases in perceived maternal parenting competences, but maternal variables did not predict change in infant temperament. In addition, we observed weak mutual relations between maternal depression levels and parenting competences, such that maternal depression diminished perceived parenting competences that in turn contributed to higher levels of depression. Conclusion Mothers’ confidence in their ability to parent is influenced by their experience with a difficult infant and by their depressive symptoms during the child’s first year of life. Depressive symptoms are, in turn, aggravated by mothers’ low perceived competences in the parenting role.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Assessing longitudinal pathways between maternal depressive symptoms, parenting self-esteem and infant temperament

2019

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“…If infant boys are more negative and less social in their play, they may be harder for depressed mothers to engage with compared to girls, which may further contribute to boys' difficulties in developing emotional regulation capabilities [23]. In the empirical literature, one study showed that maternal warmth mediated the association between current maternal depressive symptoms and internalizing behaviors only in a subset of toddler boys [37], though another study found that the quality of early mother-infant interaction predicted problem behaviors only for toddler girls [30]. In two studies of preschool and school aged children, negative parenting and low maternal responsiveness predicted externalizing behavior problems among boys but not girls [38,39].…”

Section: Child Sex Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal Depressive Symptoms and Toddler Behavior Problems: The Role of Maternal Sensitivity and Child Sex

Edwards

Hans

2015

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev

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Increasing evidence suggests that maternal depression during pregnancy is associated with child behavioral outcomes even after accounting for later maternal depression. The purpose of this study was to examine various mechanisms, including maternal sensitivity, neonatal problems, and concurrent maternal depression, that might explain the association between prenatal maternal depressive symptoms and toddler behavior problems. Young, low income, African American mothers (n = 196) were interviewed during pregnancy and at 24-months postpartum, medical records were collected at the birth, and mother-child interactions were video-recorded at 24 months. Path analyses revealed that the association between prenatal depression and toddler behavior problems was mediated by maternal sensitivity and maternal depressive symptoms at 24 months. No evidence was found for a mediating effect of neonatal problems. Path models examining sex differences suggested that different mediating factors may be important for boys and girls, with boys being particularly susceptible to the effects of maternal sensitivity.

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“…However, because subthreshold levels of depression are more common among mothers than clinical depression (e.g., McLennan, Kotelchuck, & Cho, 2001), it is important to explore these dyadic processes in subclinical, low-risk populations. Some research suggests that similar processes occur in mothers with subthreshold levels of depression and may have negative implications for toddlers’ socioemotional development, including higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and difficulties in emotion regulation (e.g., Hummel & Kiel, 2015; West & Newman, 2003). However, few studies have investigated the immediate, transactional behavioral and affective responses of these mothers and their toddlers during dyadic interactions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bidirectional Effects of Positive Affect, Warmth, and Interactions Between Mothers With and Without Symptoms of Depression and Their Toddlers

2015

Self Cite

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Maternal depression has negative implications for parenting and child outcomes, but it is also important to understand the daily transactional interactions that occur between mothers varying in symptoms of depression and their children. The current study aimed to examine immediate bidirectional effects between maternal warmth and positive affect and toddler affect in a sample of mothers varying in symptoms of depression. Ninety-one mothers and their 24-month-old toddlers completed a laboratory free-play/clean-up task. Mothers rated their symptoms of depression using the CES-D, and maternal warmth and positive affect and toddler positive and negative affect were observationally coded from a free-play and clean-up laboratory task. Sequential analyses indicated that mothers with no or mild symptoms of depression exhibited mutual positive affect with their children, but mothers with more severe symptoms of depression did not. Mothers with higher symptoms of depression displayed a decrease in warmth concurrent with toddlers’ positive affect. Further, unlike dyads in which mothers had higher symptoms of depression, dyads of mothers with lower symptoms appeared to exhibit some covariation in positive affect across the episode. These results provide evidence that even in non-clinical samples, affective manifestations of mothers’ subthreshold levels of depression may have negative immediate effects on toddlers’ emotions, and that mothers without symptoms of depression may have more reciprocal affective exchanges with their toddlers.

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Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Maternal Behavior, and Toddler Internalizing Outcomes: A Moderated Mediation Model

Cited by 18 publications

References 47 publications

Assessing longitudinal pathways between maternal depressive symptoms, parenting self-esteem and infant temperament

Assessing longitudinal pathways between maternal depressive symptoms, parenting self-esteem and infant temperament

Prenatal Depressive Symptoms and Toddler Behavior Problems: The Role of Maternal Sensitivity and Child Sex

Bidirectional Effects of Positive Affect, Warmth, and Interactions Between Mothers With and Without Symptoms of Depression and Their Toddlers

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