Touch by Intrusive and Withdrawn Mothers with Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Interaction behaviours of 88 adolescent mothers with depressive symptoms and their 3-month-old infants were videotaped and coded for different types of touch. The 'depressed' mothers were classified as intrusive, withdrawm or good by one observer and another observer coded rough tickling, poking, tuggingand pulling as negative touch behaviours and gentle stroking and rubbing as positive touch behaviours. The mothers with depressive symptoms were more likely to touch their infants in a negative way and more likely to be classified as intrusive.Keyzuords: depressed mothers, infants, touch, coded Most research on mother-infant face-to-face interaction behaviours has focused on facial and vocal behaviours. The mother's tactile stimulation has been M y ignored (Stack and Muir, 1990). Recent studies (Pelaez-Nogueras et al., 1996;Stack and Muir, 1990) highlight the importance of touch during early interactions. In the Stack and Muir (1990) study, infants whose mothers were 'stillface ' (Tronick et al., 1977) were less distressed by the still-face if the mother touched the infant during the still-face. Pelaez-Nogueras ef al. (1996) conducted the same procedure with mothers who had depressive symptoms. Their infants also were less distressed when the mothers touched them during the still-face procedure. Some have suggested that depressed mothers touch their infants less often or more negatively (Lyons-Ruth et al., 1986). However, systematic observations of depressed mothers' touch behaviours have not yet been conducted. METHODS SubjectsEghty-eight mother-infant dyads were recruited from a developmental follow-up clinic for a longitudinal study on m a t e d depression effects.The criteria were that they be less than 22 years of age and nondrug using as assessed by urine screens on the mothers and meconium on their infants at the neonatal stage. In this sample, 68% of the mothers were African-American, 33% Hispanic

Maternal touch and maternal child-directed speech: effects of depressed mood in the postnatal period

“…Depressed mothers might interact with their infants in an intrusive, controlling and overstimulating manner, or in a withdrawn, passive and under stimulating way (Malphurs, Raag, Field, Pickens, & Pelaez-Nogueras, 1996;Field, Healy, Goldstein & Guthertz, 1990;Cohn, Matias, Tronick, Connell, & LyonsRuth, 1986). Postnatally depressed mothers in comparison with non-depressed mothers touch their infants in a more negative manner (rough pulling, tickling, poking), and with different frequency (Lyons-Ruth, Zoll, Connell,& Grunebaum, 1986;Malphurs et al, 1996;Fergus, Smith & Pickens, 1998). Since touch between Maternal Touch and Speech 4 mother and child is bi-directional, similar to verbal communication, it implies that both partners are active performers (Kaye, 1982;Hertenstein, 2002).…”

“…Previous studies have reported that mothers who are clinically depressed tend to show negative affect (anger, sadness), negative touch (rough pulling, tickling, poking), as well as unresponsive behaviour during face-to-face interactions with their infants (Cohn, Matias, Tronick, Connell & Lyons-Ruth, 1986;Field, 1986;Field, Healy, Goldstein & Guthertz, 1990;Holden, 1994;Malphurs et al, 1996;Jones, Field, Fox, Davalos, Malphurs, Carraway, Schanberg & Kuhn, 1997;NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1999). Additionally, higher frequencies of touch have been found among mothers with symptoms of depression, indicating over-stimulating behaviour in their use of touch when interacting with their infants (Malphurs et al, 1996;Fergus et al, 1998).…”

“…Infants' behavioural states were coded in terms of vocally active, and vocally inactive (neutral) (Malphurs et al, 1996).…”

“…Although the systematic study of maternal and infant touch has been widely neglected (Malphurs, Raag, Field, Pickens,& Pelaez-Nogueras, 1996;Pelaez-Nogueras et al, 1996;Hertenstein & Campos, 2001;Hertenstein, 2002), recent research on tactile stimulation demonstrates that maternal touch is an important means of communication during early social exchanges. Touch elicits positive affect, reduces negative affect, and modifies overall responsiveness in infants as early as 3 months of age (Stack & Muir, 1990Pelaez-Nogueras et al, 1996;Stack & Arnold, 1998).…”

“…Cohn et al, 1986;Field et al, 1990;Murray et al,1993;Malphurs et al, 1996;Hentel et al, 2000), the following hypotheses were tested: First, mothers of 6-and 10-month-old infants, with depressed mood, in comparison with nondepressed mothers, differ in the quality and frequency of their touch of their infants. Based on findings in the literature of the lack of responsiveness and withdrawn behaviours (e.g.…”