Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-7cz98 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-20T18:41:49.389Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Positive maternal mental health during pregnancy associated with specific forms of adaptive development in early childhood: Evidence from a longitudinal study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

Desiree Y. Phua
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences
Michelle K. Z. L. Kee
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences
Dawn X. P. Koh
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences
Anne Rifkin-Graboi
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences
Mary Daniels
Affiliation:
KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
Helen Chen
Affiliation:
KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
Yap Seng Chong
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences National University of Singapore
Birit F. P. Broekman
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences
Iliana Magiati
Affiliation:
National University of Singapore
Neerja Karnani
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences National University of Singapore
Michael Pluess
Affiliation:
Queen Mary University
Michael J. Meaney*
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences McGill University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Michael J. Meaney, Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, 6875 Boul LaSalle, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada; E-mail: michael.meaney@mcgill.ca.

Abstract

The quality of prenatal maternal mental health, from psychological stress and depressive symptoms to anxiety and other nonpsychotic mental disorders, profoundly affects fetal neurodevelopment. Despite the evidence for the influence of positive mental well-being on health, there is, to our knowledge, no research examining the possible effects of positive antenatal mental health on the development of the offspring. Using exploratory bifactor analysis, this prospective study (n = 1,066) demonstrated the feasibility of using common psychiatric screening tools to examine the effect of positive maternal mental health. Antenatal mental health was assessed during 26th week of pregnancy. The effects on offspring were assessed when the child was 12, 18, and 24 months old. Results showed that positive antenatal mental health was uniquely associated with the offspring's cognitive, language and parentally rated competences. This study shows that the effects of positive maternal mental health are likely to be specific and distinct from the sheer absence of symptoms of depression or anxiety.

Information

Type
Special Issue Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable