A Multimethod Perspective on Emotional Availability in the Postpartum Period

SYNOPSIS

Objective . This study investigates observed and self-reported emotional availability in clinically depressed and nondepressed mother–infant pairs. Design. Observations of mother–infant interaction were made during 30-min free-play interaction during the first year of life in clinically postpartum depressed (n = 49) and nondepressed mothers (n = 35) in Flanders (Belgium). Results . Postpartum depressed mothers had significantly lower scores on most emotional availability dimensions, both as observed by clinicians and on the self-report measure of emotional availability, except for observed hostility and self-reported intrusiveness and hostility, and appeared to have difficulty in being engaged in play interaction with their infants. Both dyadic dimensions of the self-report questionnaire, mutual attunement and affect quality, are related to all six observed dimensions; children seen by their mothers as able to involve them in play are scored as responsive and involving by external observers; mothers of involving infants were observed as more sensitive; self-reported hostility is associated with observed nonhostility and nonintrusiveness; and, as expected, self-reported maternal intrusiveness is not related to observed nonintrusiveness or with other aspects of observed emotional availability. Conclusion. The current study underlines the differences in most aspects of observed and self-reported emotional availability between postpartum depressed and nondepressed mothers, as well the potential divergences between observed and self-perceived aspects of this construct.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the mother–infant units of Zoersel and Ghent for their support in this study.