Azur M, Leaf P, Duggan A; AcademyHealth. Meeting (2005 : Boston, Mass.).
Abstr AcademyHealth Meet. 2005; 22: abstract no. 3205.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Mental Health, 624 N. Broadway, 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205 Tel. 410-719-6172 Fax
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between remitted, current and chronic maternal depression and internalizing behavior problems, externalizing behavior problems and adaptive behavior in three-year-old children. Second, to investigate the role of maternal social support in moderating this association. STUDY DESIGN: The data come from a randomized longitudinal study of an early home visitation program in Hawaii. Maternal depression was measured using the CES-D. Internalizing behavior and externalizing behavior were measured based on maternal reports from the CBCL, and adaptive behavior was measured using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between maternal depression and each of the child outcomes. Interactions between maternal depression and maternal social support were explored and the models controlled for poverty, maternal education, teen parenthood, race, and child's gender. POPULATION STUDIED: The study sample consisted of 583 families participating in the larger randomized longitudinal study. These families were identified as at risk for child abuse and child maltreatment at the time of entry into the original study. The study sample was limited to families where the mother completed the interview when the target child was 3 years old. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Maternal depression was highly prevalent with 35% of women reporting current or chronic symptoms of depression and an additional 23% of women reporting remitted depression. There was an increasing trend in the odds of having internalizing problems among children with remitted, currently depressed and chronically depressed mothers. Children living below the poverty line and children of teen mothers were even more likely to experience internalizing problems. Remitted maternal depression and chronic maternal depression were also associated with externalizing problems. Once we controlled for maternal social support and child's gender, there was no association between maternal depression and adaptive behavior. There were no significant interactions between social support and maternal depression. CONCLUSIONS: Children with depressed mothers are at increased risk for internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and this risk continues after the depression has remitted. Children born to adolescent mothers and children living in poverty may be at particular risk of internalizing problems. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY, DELIVERY OR PRACTICE: Pediatricians should consider a family-centered approach in treating children and consider screening mothers for a history of depression. Children living in poverty and children born to adolescent mothers may be at particular risk for internalizing problems. If depression is detected, support and treatment should be provided to both the parent and the child.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Adolescent
- Aggression
- Association
- Child
- Child Abuse
- Child of Impaired Parents
- Chronic Disease
- Cooperative Behavior
- Cyclothymic Disorder
- Depression
- Depressive Disorder
- Depressive Disorder, Major
- Family
- Female
- Hawaii
- Hospitals, Chronic Disease
- Humans
- Longitudinal Studies
- Mental Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Mothers
- Poverty
- Social Support
- epidemiology
- hsrmtgs
UI: 103622668
From Meeting Abstracts