An overview of maternal depression, infant reactions and intervention programmes (original) (raw)

Stressful impact of depression on early mother–infant relations

Stress and Health, 2006

The long-lasting effects of post-natal depression (PND) on parenting stress were assessed. It was also asked whether change in parenting stress followed conventional cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) treatment for PND and the benefits of targeted parent-infant intervention was assessed. Data were from three sources (1) a longitudinal cohort of post-partum depressed and non-depressed women; (2) a treatment study of 162 depressed women involving CBT, routine care and a comparison group of 162 non-depressed women; (3) a pilot study of a specialized parent-infant intervention with 22 depressed women. The longitudinal cohort showed elevated parenting stress persisting until 3.5 years post-partum. In the treatment study, 73 per cent of depressed women had parenting stress scores indicating clinically dysfunctional mother-infant relations before treatment (compared to less than 3 per cent in the non-depressed group). This rate was still 56 per cent after 12 weeks of CBT, with average parenting stress similar to women in routine care. During 3 weeks of a specialized parent-infant intervention, there was a more rapid decline in parenting stress. Thus, parent-infant difficulties due to PND were persistent and CBT targeted only at maternal mood had limited impact on these. Parenting stress appeared to improve to more normal levels after the specialized mother-infant module and this needs to be confirmed in a fully controlled study. Broadened criteria for identifying 'best-practice' treatments for PND would take account of impact on mother-infant interactions.

Maternal Depression and its Consequence for Young Child Development

2013

Zúñiga, G. 2001. Tecnologías Colaborativas para Ia Realizaci?n de Eneseñanza Basada en Web. Interactive Educational Multimedia 2:1-18. Available at: http:Ilwww. ub.es/multimedia/iem Abstract Depression is a common mental health problem that contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. Depression among women during and after pregnancy is found to influence developmental outcomes for children. Prevalence of postand ante-natal depression worldwide is estimated to be 13% and 10%-25%. Depression leads to substantial impairment of individual’s ability to take care of his/her everyday responsibilities. Depressed mothers often give birth to neonates who have low birth weight and other health problems which require intensive care for postnatal complications.

Postpartum Depression: Is It a Condition Affecting the Mother-Infant Interaction and the Development of the Child across the First Year of Life?

Noting that maternal depression is common during a baby's first year, this study examined the interaction of depressed and non-depressed mother-child dyads. A sample of 26 first-time mothers with postpartum depression at the third month after birth and their 3-month-old infants was compared to a sample of 25 first-time mothers with no postpartum depression at the third month after birth and their 3-month-old infants. The observations were repeated at 6 months and again at 12 months postpartum. The samples were compared for differences in mother interaction behavior, mother's infant care, mother's concern with the baby, infant behavioral difficulties, infant mental and motor development, and infant behavior with the observer. Among the findings are the following: (1) depressed mothers' interaction behavior and care of their infants are less adequate than the non-depressed mothers' interaction behavior and care of their infants at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (2) infants' interaction behaviors during feeding and face-to-face interaction with depressed mothers are less adequate than infants' interactions with non-depressed mothers at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (3) mother-infant interactions are less adequate in the depressed mother dyads than the non-depressed dyads at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (4) depressed mothers are less concerned about their infants than non-depressed mothers at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum; (5) infants of depressed mothers have more behavioral difficulties at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum than infants of non-depressed mothers; (6) infants of depressed mothers had lower mental and motor development rates at 6 and 12 months postpartum than infants of non-depressed mothers; and (7) infants of non-depressed mothers behaved in a more positive way with the observer than the infants of depressed mothers. (AS)

Postnatal Depression, Mother-Infant Interactions, and Child Development

Identifying Perinatal Depression and Anxiety, 2015

Depression is common among women of childbearing age, with over 8% being affected at any one time (Weissman, Warner, Wickramaratne, & Prusoff, 1988). Depression occurring specifically in the postnatal period affects around 14% of women in developed world samples (O'Hara & Swain, 1996) and is substantially more common in some developing world populations (

Face-to-face interactions of postpartum depressed and nondepressed mother-infant pairs at 2 months

Developmental Psychology, 1990

Depression's influence on mother-infant interactious at 2 months postpartum was studied in 24 depressed and 22 nondepressed mothex-infant dyads. Depression was diagnosed using the SADS-L and RDC. In S's homes, structured interactions of 3 min duration were videotaped and later coded using behavioral descriptors and a l-s time base. Unstructured interactions were described using rating scales. During structured interactions, depressed mothers were more negative and their babies were less positive than were nondepressed dyads. The reduced positivity of depressed dyads was achieved through contingent resixmfiveness. Ratings from unstructured interactions were consistent with these findings. Results support the hypothesis that depression negatively influences motherinfant behaviol; but indicate that influence may vary with development, chronicity, and presence of other risk factors. Ten to 15% of postpartum women develop a moderate, clinically significant depressive reaction that is more prolonged than the "blues" and serious enough to interfere with daily functioning (O'Hara, Neunaber, & Zekosld, 1984). Postpartum depression is thus a potentially important mental health problem for families with young infants. Studies of depression in the postpartum period, however, have focused almost exclusively on the woman herself (see Hopkins, Marcus, & Campbell, 1984, for a review) and have ignored the possible negative effects depression may have on her relationship with her infant and her infant's development. Postpartum depression would be expected to interfere with optimal mothering. The importance of positive expression and responsive caretaking in early infancy has been well documented in numerous studies (e.g., Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Belsky, Rovine, & Taylor, 1984), whereas maternal insensitivity and unavailability have been associated with a range of difficulties in adaptation in infancy and early childhood (e.g., Sronfe, 1983). Recent studies have confirmed earlier clinical observations by Weissman and Paykel (1974) about the negative impact of maternal depression on young children's development. Research on the offspring of women with major depressive disorders has indicated a range of cognitive and social problems in toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children (Beardslee,

Parenthood in the context of maternal depression at the end of the infant's first year of life

Estudos de Psicologia (Campinas), 2014

The present study investigated parenthood in the context of maternal depression, at the end of the first year of the infant's life. The participants of the study were 22 families, from different socioeconomic levels, divided into two groups, one with mothers who did not present indicators of depression (n=12) and another group with mothers who did (n=10), based on the Beck Depression Inventory. All the mothers were primiparous and lived with the child's father, the babies were approximately 12 months of age. The mothers and fathers participated in an interview that investigated several parenting aspects. Qualitative content analysis of the interviews indicated that, compared to the group without depression, the depressed mothers, as well as their husbands, reported more difficulties regarding division tasks, financial concerns, and divergences and conflicts in child care. These results corroborate other studies which emphasized that the presence of indicators of maternal depression can cause difficulties in parenting. Keywords: Fathers; Maternal depression; Parenting.