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Mothers with zero Beck depression scores act more “depressed” with their infants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Tiffany Field ,
Connie Morrow ,
Brian Healy ,
Tamar Foster ,
Diane Adlestein  and
Sheri Goldstein
Tiffany Field*
Affiliation:
Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Medical School
Connie Morrow
Affiliation:
Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Medical School
Brian Healy
Affiliation:
Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Medical School
Tamar Foster
Affiliation:
Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Medical School
Diane Adlestein
Affiliation:
Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Medical School
Sheri Goldstein
Affiliation:
Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Medical School
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Tiffany Field, Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Medical School, P.O. Box 016820, Miami, Florida 33101.
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Abstract

Mothers who scored zero on the Beck Depression Inventory (N = 25) were compared to “depressed” mothers (high scores on the Beck) (N = 39) and nondepressed mothers (N = 98) during face-to-face interactions with their 5-month-old infants. The interaction videotapes were rated on the Interaction Rating Scales and were coded second-by-second for attentive/affective behavior states. The zero Beck mothers and their infants received lower ratings and were in less positive behavior states (alone or together) than the high scoring Beck “depressed” mother/infant dyads and even more frequently than the nondepressed mother/infant dyads. The lower activity levels, lesser expressivity, and less frequent vocalizing were suggestive of “depressed” behavior in both the mothers and their infants. In addition, the infants of the zero Beck mothers had lower vagal tone and lower growth percentiles (weight, length, and head circumference) than the infants of nondepressed mothers, although they did not differ from the infants of depressed mothers on these measures. These data suggest that mothers who report no depressive symptoms may present as much, if not greater risk, for their infants than mothers who do report depressive symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , July 1991 , pp. 253 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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