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Trajectories of maternal depression over 7 years: Relations with child psychophysiology and behavior and role of contextual risks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2008

Sharon B. Ashman ,
Geraldine Dawson  and
Heracles Panagiotides
Sharon B. Ashman*
Affiliation:
University of Washington
Geraldine Dawson
Affiliation:
University of Washington
Heracles Panagiotides
Affiliation:
University of Washington
*
Address corrrespondence and reprint requests to: Sharon Ashman, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, W-6839, Rehabilitation Psychology, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105; E-mail: sashman@u.washington.edu.
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Abstract

This study examines the relation between the longitudinal course of maternal depression during the child's early life and children's psychophysiology and behavior at age 6.5 years. One hundred fifty-nine children of depressed and nondepressed mothers were followed from infancy through age 6.5 years. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify classes of depressed mothers based on the longitudinal course of the mother's depression. School-aged children of chronically depressed mothers were found to have elevated externalizing behavior problems, decreased social competence, reduced frontal brain activation (EEG power), and higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity. Children of mothers with decreasing and stable mild depression were found to have increased hyperactivity and attention problems compared to children of nondepressed mothers. Contextual risk factors were found to mediate the relation between maternal depression and child behavioral outcomes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , Winter 2008 , pp. 55 - 77
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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Footnotes

The authors acknowledge the mothers and children who participated in the Adjustment to Parenthood Study, as well as the following individuals who contributed to this study over the years: Karin Frey, Emily Yamada, Julie Osterling, Cathy Brock, Emily Werner, David Hessl, and Joanna Self. This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH47117).

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