Maternal Depression, Parental Practices and Child Sex: Prediction of Children’s Behavior

Abstract

Exposure to maternal depressive symptoms and negative parenting practices during childhood configures a vulnerability factor associated with behavior problems among children. This study aims to verify the predictive effects of maternal depression (main factor) on behavioral outcomes and maternal parenting practices, considering the sex of the children (covariate factor); and the predictive effect of maternal depression, parenting practices, and child’s sex on behavioral outcomes. The sample was composed of a community sample of 101 mother-child pairs. Mothers answered to: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders, Parenting Styles Inventory, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The covariance and multiple linear regressions analysis showed that being a boy, and specific practices of neglect, physical abuse, and permissive discipline were the main predictors of behavioral problems among children exposed to negative practices and maternal depression. These findings underline the role of the child’s sex in the interactions between variables, which could contribute to interventions in mental health.

Prevalence of maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and associations with child mental health outcomes in rural Nepal

“…After adjusting for confounders, women with probable moderate to severe depression had a higher likelihood of having a child experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties than women with mild or no symptoms. These findings are consistent with existing literature from HICs [16, 39] and community‐based studies in South Africa, Brazil, and Pakistan [17, 37, 40]. Children with mothers experiencing mental health difficulties were not more likely to experience emotional and behavioural difficulties themselves.…”

Infant Temperament: Association with Maternal Depression Symptoms in Pregnancy and Postpartum

“…Several authors consider that effortful control is strongly influenced by the regulation experience offered by caregivers (Gracioli & Linhares, 2014;Granat et al, 2017). In this sense, the low responsiveness, apathy and poor expression of positive affectivity of some depressed mothers, as well as the intrusive, coercive and impatient behaviors of others, which have already been associated with more negative and dysfunctional parenting styles (Dib et al, 2019;Oliveira, Silva, Pizeta, & Loureiro, 2021), can affect the regulation and appearance of emotional symptoms in children (Oliveira et al, 2021).…”