Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Allison Frost, post: 9343"] [B]This piece was written by Tamara Spiewak Toub in collaboration with study author Allison Frost. It is b[/B][B]ased on research originally published in: Frost, A., Scherer, E., Chung, E. O., Gallis, J. A., Sanborn, K., Zhou, Y., Hagaman, A., LeMasters, K., Sikander, S., Turner, E., & Maselko, J. (2025). [URL='https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254251327372']Longitudinal pathways between maternal depression, parenting behaviors, and early childhood development: A mediation analysis.[/URL] [I]International Journal of Behavioral Development, 49[/I](3). [/B] [HEADING=1][B]Key takeaways for caregivers[/B][/HEADING] [LIST] [*]Children learn, and their brains grow, partially through watching and interacting with their parents. [*]Prior research in various communities has revealed that children whose mothers are clinically depressed tend to develop differently than children whose mothers are not depressed. They are also at higher risk for having social, emotional, or other struggles. [*]In our recent study in rural Pakistan, children whose mothers were depressed when the children were one year old showed greater emotional and behavioral difficulties at age three than those whose mothers were not depressed. [*]We explored whether parenting behaviors serve as a bridge connecting maternal depression and children’s development. We asked: Do depressed mothers show less warmth or harsher parenting than mothers who are not depressed? Could this explain why children of depressed mothers develop differently? [*]In our study, mothers with [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/tag/depression/']depression[/URL] were observed using more harsh parenting behaviors, such as looking angry or saying mean or critical things, than mothers without depression. But the mothers’ warmth toward their children did not differ. [*]Parenting behaviors, including harsh parenting, did not explain the link between maternal depression and children’s development. Other factors, such as stress, division of caregiving responsibilities, living conditions, and children’s biology or behaviors, may play important roles. [*]While more research is needed, supporting maternal well-being and encouraging caregiving without harshness can benefit children’s early development. [/LIST] [IMG]https://childandfamilyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/pexels-kamaji-ogino-5094013-scaled.jpg[/IMG] Photo by [URL='https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-ethnic-mother-mother-hugging-and-kissing-playful-little-daughter-5094013/']Kamaji Ogino[/URL] on Pexels [HEADING=1]Mothers’ emotional well-being and children’s development[/HEADING] Many caregivers and professionals wonder how a mother’s emotional well-being affects her child’s development, especially when mothers struggle with clinical depression. Distinct from the sadness that most people feel occasionally, clinical depression involves a persistent loss of interest or engagement, changes in sleep and appetite, and a level of emotional distress that interferes with daily life – often lasting for weeks or longer. In low- and middle-income countries, [URL='https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.0069']roughly one in four mothers[/URL] experiences postnatal depression in the year after childbirth. Mothers frequently suffer from depression in higher income countries, too. [HEADING=2]Why maternal depression is a public health priority[/HEADING] Extensive research has [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/maternal-depression-performance-school/']linked maternal depression to challenges[/URL] in children’s physical, [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/cognitive-development-language/']cognitive[/URL], and [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/social-emotional-development/']emotional development[/URL], making it a major public health priority for families and communities worldwide. Investigating how or why mothers’ depression connects to children’s emotions, behaviors, and skills improves our understanding and can ultimately help communities [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/neuroscience-parental-influence-shape-our-experiences/']provide families with more effective support[/URL]. [HEADING=1]Exploring links among mothers’ depression, their parenting behaviors, and children’s development[/HEADING] In a recent [URL='https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254251327372']study[/URL], we focused on the potential role of parenting behaviors in the link between mothers’ depression and children’s development. We asked: Do mothers with a history of depression show different patterns in their parenting than mothers who have not been depressed? Symptoms of depression can get in the way of positive parenting behaviors.For example, some mothers with depression may be more likely to withdraw from their children, show less warmth in their interactions, or express more anger and negativity. Do such differences in parenting explain the link between maternal depression and children’s development? We focus here on children’s socioemotional development, such as symptoms of anxiety or depression or struggles with behavior or peer relationships. [HEADING=1]Who participated in the study?[/HEADING] More than 840 families in rural villages in Pakistan participated in our longitudinal study. Researchers followed families from the time children were one year old through the time they were three years old. About half the children were boys and about half were girls. At the start of the study, mothers were between 18 and 45 years old (about 26 years old on average) and were married. Most of the families lived in extended-family households, with parents and children living together with other relatives (e.g., the parents’ siblings, the grandparents), which is very common in rural Pakistani villages. In terms of formal education, mothers and fathers each had from none to 18 years, with the average being about seven to nine years. [IMG]https://childandfamilyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pexels-alby-25578625-scaled.jpg[/IMG] Photo by [URL='https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-in-pink-veil-embracing-little-son-25578625/']Albin Biju[/URL] on Pexels [HEADING=1]How did we measure maternal depression, parenting behaviors, and children’s outcomes?[/HEADING] Over three yearly time points, we used a combination of established, structural interviews; parent surveys; and observations of mothers interacting with their children to help us identify patterns across the families. [HEADING=2]Maternal depression (when children were one year old)[/HEADING] Researchers used a common and internationally respected interview approach to determine which mothers were experiencing clinical levels of depression. Mothers were categorized as “depressed” or “not depressed” based on their reports of specific symptoms (e.g., sadness; lack of interest in daily life; disturbances in sleeping, eating, or concentration) and the severity of those symptoms, including whether the symptoms interfered with their daily lives. The use of a simple cut-off is valuable for dividing mothers into these two groups for clinical and research purposes. However, mothers’ experiences varied along a spectrum, and even the mothers characterized as “not depressed” could have experienced some degree of sadness and other disturbances. [HEADING=2]Mothers’ parenting behaviors (when children were two years old)[/HEADING] Mothers were invited to play and talk with their young children while looking at a picture book provided by researchers. Trained observers watched mothers and noted how much they showed three specific parenting behaviors: [LIST] [*]Warmth: showing affection through positive physical touch, such as snuggles, and positive, encouraging talk (“Yay! You found it, Sweetie!”) [*]Stimulation: challenging the child to think and engage, such as by asking questions and pointing to items in the book (“What will they do with this ball?”) [*]Harshness: looking or sounding negative, such as yelling, verbally expressing anger or being critical (“Stop fooling around! We’re supposed to be looking at this book!”). [/LIST] [HEADING=2]Children’s socioemotional outcomes (when children were three years old)[/HEADING] Mothers completed established questionnaires, rating their children’s levels of various challenges (anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, trouble behaving appropriately, and problems with peers). [HEADING=1]What did we find?[/HEADING] Our main question was: Do observed parenting behaviors explain – or mediate – the links between earlier maternal depression and later children’s outcomes? In other words, do differences in parenting help account for why children of depressed mothers might show more challenges? To dig into this query, we broke it down into steps. [HEADING=2][B]Children of depressed mothers experienced more socioemotional challenges[/B][/HEADING] First, we confirmed that the general patterns found in prior studies on maternal depression and children’s development were evident in our study, too. We established that just over 18% of the Pakistani mothers in our study had depression when their children were one year old. Also, compared to children whose mothers were not depressed, the children of depressed mothers showed more emotional and behavioral challenges at age three – such as signs of sadness or irritability, behavior problems, or trouble getting along with peers. While the mothers’ mood-related biases might have affected their reports of children’s challenges and these findings, the general pattern is consistent with research that has used measures without such possible bias. The next question was whether mothers with depression showed differences in parenting behaviors compared to mothers without depression. Could that help explain why these two groups of children showed differences in socioemotional development? [HEADING=2][B]Only some parenting behaviors differed between depressed and not depressed mothers[/B][/HEADING] During the play session with the picture book when children were two years old, mothers who were depressed a year earlier were more likely to show [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/harsh-parenting-effects/']harsh parenting[/URL] behaviors than mothers who had not been depressed. However, other parenting behaviors, like warmth and stimulation, were similar across the two groups of mothers. In fact, both depressed and non-depressed mothers showed very high levels of warmth when interacting with their children. [HEADING=2][B]None of the parenting behaviors were related to children’s socioemotional development[/B][/HEADING] While we saw some differences in mothers’ levels of harsh parenting, none of the parenting behaviors were related to children’s later socioemotional development. [HEADING=1][B]Remaining mysteries behind the link between maternal depression and children’s socioemotional challenges[/B][/HEADING] Our findings confirmed the typical pattern of children having more socioemotional struggles when their mothers were depressed. In a new layer of investigation, we found that parenting behaviors did not explain the link between maternal depression and children’s socioemotional development. [HEADING=2]Possible limitations of the study[/HEADING] This result might be specific to the cultural context of our study. In rural Pakistan, caregiving is often shared by grandparents or extended family, which may lessen some effects of mothers’ depression or parenting behaviors. Also, the brief play period with mothers and their two-year-olds might not have provided enough of a peek into families’ typical interactions to capture stronger patterns in parenting behaviors. Differences in depressed mothers’ parenting may be more apparent when they are engaged in daily activities with their children, such as getting them dressed, feeding them, or getting them ready for bed. Thus, in different settings, parenting behaviors may play a substantial role in the link between maternal depression and children’s social and emotional health. [HEADING=1][B]What other elements of children’s own experiences, families, or communities might play a role?[/B][/HEADING] We used statistical techniques to ensure that the connections we found among maternal depression, parenting behaviors, and children’s development were not due to other known differences among families, such as parents’ level of education, family wealth, or mothers’ experiences with violence in a recent relationship or traumatic situations in their childhood. We did not measure other possibilities that may play bigger roles – like family stress, disrupted routines, or children’s biology. Relationships between parents and children are complicated, with many factors affecting both the adults and the children. In addition, children’s personalities and behaviors affect their mothers’ parenting, too – the influence goes both ways. While we do not know exactly how maternal depression is linked to children’s outcomes, we do know that mothers with depression, and their children, [URL='https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12732']benefit from extra support[/URL]. [IMG]https://childandfamilyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pexels-ekam-juneja-61080223-19810785-scaled-e1755734861444.jpg[/IMG] Photo by [URL='https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-of-elderly-and-young-woman-19810785/']Ekam Juneja[/URL] on Pexels [HEADING=1]What can caregivers and communities do while researchers keep exploring?[/HEADING] [LIST=1] [*][URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/treatment-depression-parenting-training/'][B]Support maternal mental health[/B][/URL][B].[/B] Depression is more than sadness – it affects energy, connection, and daily life. It is a common problem that needs attention worldwide. [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/parental-support-fathers-pakistan/']Programs that support mothers may also benefit their children and families[/URL]. [*][B]Reduce harshness in caregiving.[/B] The link between harsh parenting and children’s development was not strong in our study, but other research has documented problems with these parenting behaviors. Evidence from these studies shows benefits of parenting strategies that emphasize [URL='https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.012']warmth and tailored support within healthy boundaries[/URL]. [*][B]Recognize the many contributors that shape children’s development.[/B] This research reminds us to look beyond parenting to factors like caregiving environments, family structure, access to services, and stressors affecting the whole household. [/LIST] The saying “it takes a village” captures the idea that communities can support children’s development by sharing responsibilities. It is often helpful when other family members, friends, and neighbors lend a hand to parents, give them some time for self-care, and bond with young children. In these ways, the impact of any one person or experience may be reduced. When [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/depression-parenting-early-childhood-development-social-support/']children rely on a broader network of supports[/URL], these types of assistance can balance each other out as needed. The post [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com/how-maternal-depression-may-affect-young-childrens-development/']How maternal depression may affect young children’s development[/URL] appeared first on [URL='https://childandfamilyblog.com']Child and Family Blog[/URL]. [/QUOTE]

Verification

Top Bottom

Search

Search

Reply to thread