Maternal Depression, Paternal Psychopathology, and Toddlers' Behavior Problems

Abstract

This article examined the effects of maternal depression during the postpartum period (Time 1) on the later behavior problems of toddlers (Time 3) and tested if this relationship was moderated by paternal psychopathology during toddlers' lives and/or mediated by maternal parenting behavior observed during mother–child interaction (Time 2). Of the 101 mothers who participated in this longitudinal study with their toddlers, 51 had never experienced an episode of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 50 had experienced an episode of MDD during the first 18 months of their toddlers' lives. Maternal depression at Time 1 was significantly associated with toddlers' externalizing and internalizing behavior problems only when paternal psychopathology was present. As predicted, maternal negativity at Time 2 was found to mediate the relationship between maternal depression at Time 1 and toddlers' externalizing behavior problems at Time 3.

This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH49419). We thank the mothers and toddlers who participated in the study and David Brent for feedback on the manuscript.

Notes

Note. Values are M (SD) or % unless noted. Means with different subscripts are significantly different (Least Significant Difference). MDD = Major Depressive Disorder; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory (A. T. Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961).

^a n = 50. ^b n = 27. ^c n = 24.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.

Note. Means with different subscripts are significantly different (Least Significant Difference). MDD = Major Depressive Disorder; CBCL = Child Behavior Checklist 2–3 (Achenbach, 1992. Achenbach et al., 1987).

^a n = 50. ^b n = 27. ^c n = 24.

^† p < .10. ∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.

Note. Nonitalicized values represent toddlers' Externalizing behavior problems scores; italicized values represent toddlers' Internalizing Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1992. Achenbach et al., 1987).

^a For the effects shown categorical predictor variables were coded based on recommendations by Cohen et al. (2002) such that past maternal depression: 0 = no depression, 0 = current Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), 1 = past MDD; Current maternal depression: 0 = no depression, 1 = current MDD, 0 = past MDD.