Social exclusion, infant behavior, social isolation, and maternal expectations independently predict maternal depressive symptoms

Abstract

The objective of the study was to identify latent variables that can be used to inform theoretical models of perinatal influences on postnatal depressed mood and maternal–infant attachment. A routine survey of mothers with newborn infants was commenced in South Western Sydney in 2000. The survey included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and 46 psychosocial and health-related variables. Mothers (n = 15,389) delivering in 2002 and 2003 were surveyed at 2–3 weeks for depressive symptoms. Nonlinear principal components analysis was undertaken to identify dimensions that might represent latent variables. Correlations between latent variables and EPDS >12 were assessed by logistic regression. A five-dimension solution was identified, which accounted for 51% of the variance among the items studied. The five dimensions identified were maternal responsiveness, social exclusion, infant behavior, migrant social isolation, and family size. In addition, the variable maternal expectation contributed significantly to total variance and was included in the regression analysis. Regression on EPDS >12 was predictive for all variables except for maternal responsiveness, which was considered an outcome variable. The findings are consistent with the proposition that social exclusion, infant behavior, social isolation among migrant mothers, and maternal expectations are determinants of maternal mood.

Each Is in Different Circumstances Anyway

“…Social cohesion and its related concepts of social networks and social capital have a positive influence on families and maternal depression. The voices of mothers, practitioners, and our quantitative analysis Eastwood, Jalaludin, Kemp, Phung, Barnett, & Tobin, 2012), all suggest the protective influence of support and social integration. Global forces are increasing the migration of peoples of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to South West Sydney.…”

“…The study reported here is part of a critical realist mixed method multilevel study that seeks to identify and explain complex perinatal contextual social and psychosocial mechanisms that may influence the developmental origins of health and disease with a focus on the role of postnatal depression . The main study used various qualitative and quantitative methods, including emergent qualitative analysis , 2015, non-linear principal component (Eastwood, Jalaludin, Kemp, Phung, Barnett, & Tobin, 2012) and exploratory factor analysis (Eastwood, Jalaludin, Kemp, & Phung, 2014b), visualization and cluster analysis (Eastwood, Jalaludin, Kemp, Phung, & Adusumilli, 2013), and Bayesian ecological and multilevel exploratory spatial analysis , 2014aEastwood, Jalaludin, Kemp, Phung, & Barnett, 2013).…”

Mothers’ group participation: associations with social capital, social support and mental well‐being

“…, Eastwood et al . ). There were no differences in age of residential area for social capital and social support measures; however, those who lived in newer areas (<10 years) scored higher means for mental well‐being.…”

“…, Eastwood et al . ), disadvantaged mothers of children aged 0‐4 years with depressive symptoms (Mulvaney & Kendrick ) and for mental and physical well‐being more broadly (Berkman & Glass ). Perceived social support is commonly viewed and measured as functional forms: information, instrumental, emotional and appraisal (House et al .…”

Explaining ecological clusters of maternal depression in South Western Sydney

“…A non-linear principal component and regression analysis identified that social exclusion, infant behaviour, migrant social isolation and maternal expectations independently predicted postnatal maternal depressive symptoms [25]. Our suburb-level spatial studies identified clustering of postnatal depression in regions known to be socially disadvantaged and with high rates of migrant mothers (Figure  1) [26].…”