The daughters of women with a history of depression are at heightened risk for a range of mental health problems. The present study investigated emotion regulation, cortisol reactivity to stress, and interpersonal competence as potential indicators of risk in adolescent girls at high versus low risk for depression. Participants were a community sample of 47 girls and their mothers (27 high risk and 20 low risk). Mothers and daughters had been interviewed to assess diagnostic history as part of a previous longitudinal study. In the current study, daughters completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) and cortisol samples were collected before and after exposure to this psychosocial stressor. Both mothers and daughters completed self-report questionnaires and daughters were re-assessed using the Depressive Disorders module of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. High risk mothers were also interviewed to assess the timing and chronicity of their depressive episodes during their daughters’ lifetime. High and low risk girls had equivalent ratings of self-reported stress following the TSST-C, but different physiological responses. Girls at high risk for depression showed a blunted cortisol response to the TSST-C whereas low risk girls showed a normal cortisol response. High risk status for depression predicted a blunted cortisol response to stress, which predicted difficulties with emotion regulation; difficulties with emotion regulation in turn predicted a greater number of self-reported depressive symptoms. These results suggest that maternal depression may act as a stressor that compromises stress-response system functioning in daughters and produces related difficulties with emotion regulation.

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The daughters of women with a history of depression are at heightened risk for a range of mental health problems. The present study investigated emotion regulation, cortisol reactivity to stress, and interpersonal competence as potential indicators of risk in adolescent girls at high versus low risk for depression. Participants were a community sample of 47 girls and their mothers (27 high risk and 20 low risk). Mothers and daughters had been interviewed to assess diagnostic history as part of a previous longitudinal study. In the current study, daughters completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) and cortisol samples were collected before and after exposure to this psychosocial stressor. Both mothers and daughters completed self-report questionnaires and daughters were re-assessed using the Depressive Disorders module of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. High risk mothers were also interviewed to assess the timing and chronicity of their depressive episodes during their daughters’ lifetime. High and low risk girls had equivalent ratings of self-reported stress following the TSST-C, but different physiological responses. Girls at high risk for depression showed a blunted cortisol response to the TSST-C whereas low risk girls showed a normal cortisol response. High risk status for depression predicted a blunted cortisol response to stress, which predicted difficulties with emotion regulation; difficulties with emotion regulation in turn predicted a greater number of self-reported depressive symptoms. These results suggest that maternal depression may act as a stressor that compromises stress-response system functioning in daughters and produces related difficulties with emotion regulation.

Background: Antenatal depression is relatively a new area of study compared to postnatal depression and the depth and sophistication of this research is yet developing. For instance, very little is reported on the specific role of the risk factors as moderators and mediators to explain the variability in the magnitude of exposure and the causal pathway for depression during pregnancy. Moderators are those variables that are not modifiable (e.g., ethnicity, and gender), or have qualitative character or nominal in nature, and could also often be antecedent to other independent variables (e.g., behavioural and psychosocial) and depression. Mediators are those variables that may be better able to describe the pathway that connects a predictor to an outcome and intervention can be designed targeting mediators as they are causally related to the outcome. This thesis will address this gap in research and provide empirical evidence to increase the understanding of the role of each identified risk factors that could potentially influence maternal mental health interventions. Methods: In this thesis, I have used the Feelings in Pregnancy and Motherhood (FIP) study. This was a longitudinal study and 649 pregnant women participated in the study. Women were interviewed three times over the course of their pregnancy and the immediate postpartum. Depression status was assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial and behavioural information were collected at each time point. Depression status in late pregnancy and postpartum were the two outcomes of interest. Non-modifiable sociodemographic risk factors were considered as moderators. Behavioural and psychosocial variables were considered as mediators. Moderators and mediators were tested through series of regression analysis. Results: In modeling moderating effects in late pregnancy, low income women who were in poor marital relationships (β=1.54; p<0.05) and partnered women (married or common law) who reported having used recreational drugs (β= -1.62; p<0.05) were more likely to be depressed. Young mothers with low social support (β= 1.04; p=0.15) and Aboriginal mothers with low social support (β= 1.12; p=0.17) were also almost significantly noted to have depression symptoms in late pregnancy. In mediating analysis for late pregnancy, psychosocial mediators such as stress, social support, and marital satisfaction, and behavioural factors, such as smoking and recreational drug use exerted partial or full mediating effect for depressive symptoms in women in late pregnancy. In moderating analysis for postpartum, Aboriginal women who had never exercised in late pregnancy were found to be depressed at postpartum compared with non Aboriginal mothers who did not exercise. In looking at mediating effects in postpartum, smoking at late pregnancy exerted full mediating effects for ethnicity and marital satisfaction pathways, and partial mediating effects for age, education, and stress pathways in predicting depression in postpartum period among mothers. Conclusion: Depression, particularly during pregnancy and in postpartum, is a top priority for women themselves, their families, care providers, and society in general. This study found that characteristics of women or their psychosocial or behavioural experiences could have specific effects such as either a mitigating or exacerbating role, or a mediating role, in depression in late pregnancy or in postpartum. This information could be strategically used by clinicians or by health promotion professionals to either target or provide tailored programs to women who might experience depression during pregnancy and postpartum.

abstract: Dysregulated cortisol has been linked to a variety of adverse physical and psychological consequences. Stressors in the childhood family environment can influence cortisol activity throughout development. For example, research has shown that both infants and children of depressed mothers exhibit altered levels of cortisol compared to infants and children of non-depressed mothers. It is unclear, however, whether exposure to maternal depression in childhood and adolescence is related to cortisol activity at later stages of development. The current study examined the longitudinal relation between maternal depressive symptoms during late childhood (9-12 years old) and adolescence (15-19 years old) and cortisol activity in offspring in young adulthood (24- 28 years old) in a sample of 40 young adults and their mothers. Maternal depressive symptoms were prospectively assessed at four time points across the 15 year study. Cortisol samples were collected from young adult offspring at the final time point. Findings revealed that higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms during late childhood were associated with lower total cortisol output in young adulthood. Results suggest that attenuated cortisol levels, which put these young adults at risk for a variety of stress-related physical and psychological illnesses, may be a long-term consequence of exposure to maternal depression,. Depressive symptoms in mothers during their child's adolescence, however, did not relate to cortisol output. These findings suggest a sensitive period in late childhood during which the development of HPA activity may be susceptible to the environmental stressor of maternal depression. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Psychology 2011

Submitted by Aline de Marco Silveira (am.silveira@unesp.br) on 2018-11-20T23:04:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Aline de Marco - CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE RELACIONAMENTOS CONJUGAIS QUANTO A COMUNICAÇÃO E AFETO E SUA RELAÇÃO COM A PARENTALIDADE, PROBLEMAS DE COMPORTAMENTO INFANTIL E DEPRESSÃO MATERNA - corrigido.pdf: 1820297 bytes, checksum: 326bdd2ab8bffc53c34badcccd6933dc (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Lucilene Cordeiro da Silva Messias null (lubiblio@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-11-21T11:29:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 silveira_am_me_bauru.pdf: 1820297 bytes, checksum: 326bdd2ab8bffc53c34badcccd6933dc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-21T11:29:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silveira_am_me_bauru.pdf: 1820297 bytes, checksum: 326bdd2ab8bffc53c34badcccd6933dc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O relacionamento conjugal consiste em uma das principais interações para o círculo familiar e a satisfação conjugal pontua como primordial para o bom desenvolvimento marital. Problemas com a parentalidade, com o comportamento infantil e a depressão materna acabam por favorecer condições de insatisfação na conjugalidade. Assim sendo, a partir de uma amostra de 130 mulheres, casadas, mães de crianças com e sem problemas de comportamento, o presente trabalho é composto por dois estudos que têm por objetivo geral realizar uma comparação entre aspectos da relação conjugal, práticas parentais positivas e negativas, depressão materna, ocorrência de problemas de comportamento infantil e habilidades sociais infantis. Para tal foram desenvolvidos dois estudos: Estudo I-) objetivou realizar uma comparação entre comunicação e afeto na relação conjugal, com parentalidade e indicativo de depressão materna; Estudo II-) objetivou realizar uma comparação entre comunicação e afeto na relação conjugal, considerando a ocorrência de problemas de comportamento infantil e habilidades sociais infantis. Para a realização do primeiro estudo, foram utilizados os instrumentos de análise Questionário de Relacionamento Conjugal, Entrevista de Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais e Questionário Sobre a Saúde do Paciente-9 obtendo, de modo geral, que tanto o grupo de mulheres com práticas parentais positivas quanto o grupo de mulheres com baixa frequência de práticas parentais negativas tem alta frequência de comunicação no relacionamento conjugal. Casais com práticas positivas comunicam-se mais positivamente e se relacionam de modo mais afetuoso que casais com práticas negativas. Quanto à depressão materna, obteve-se que o grupo de mães sem indicativo de depressão demonstrou expressar e receber com maior frequência afeto e comunicação em seu relacionamento. O mesmo grupo comunica-se tanto de forma positiva quanto de forma negativa com o cônjuge e interage tanto de forma positivamente afetuosa quanto de forma negativamente afetuosa. No entanto, a maior quantidade de mães deste grupo afirma estar satisfeita com seu relacionamento conjugal. Para o Estudo II foram utilizados os instrumentos Questionário de Relacionamento Conjugal, Entrevista de Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais e Child Behavior Checklist e, de maneira geral, obteve-se que o grupo de mães de crianças sem problemas de comportamento descrevem relacionamentos com maior frequência de comunicação e afeto, apresentando relações com mais comunicação positiva, no entanto, também descreveram comunicação negativa e afeto negativo na relação. Contudo, a maior quantidade de mães de crianças sem problemas de comportamento ainda descreveram estar satisfeitas com seu relacionamento. No que concerne às comparações referentes às habilidades sociais infantis, obteve-se que o grupo de mães de crianças sem déficits para habilidades sociais apresentou maior frequência de comunicação em seu relacionamento, comunicando-se de forma mais negativa, no entanto, agindo de forma mais positivamente afetuosa na interação com o cônjuge. Como contribuição para o presente estudo, destaca-se as relações entre a satisfação conjugal e a parentalidade, bem como entre a satisfação conjugal e problema de comportamento infantil e habilidades sociais infantis, considerando sua relação com a depressão materna. / The marital relationship consists in one of the main interactions to the family circle and the marital satisfaction points out as primordial to thegood marital development. Problems with parenthood, child behavior and maternal depression tend to favor conditions of dissatisfaction in conjugality. Thus, from a sample of 130 women, married, mothers of children with and without behavioral problems, the present research is composed of two studies that have as general objective to make a comparison between aspects of the conjugal relationship, positive and negative parental practices, maternal depression, occurrence of child behavior problems and children's social skills. For that, two studies were developed: Study I) aimed to comparing communication and affection in the conjugal relationship, with parenting and indicative of maternal depression; Study II) aimed to make a comparison between communication and affection in the conjugal relationship, considering the occurrence of children's behavior problems and children's social skills. In order to carry out the first study, the instruments of analysis used was the Questionário de Relacionamento Conjugal, Entrevista de Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais and Questionário Sobre a Saúde do Paciente-9, obtaining, in general, that both the group of women with positive parental practices and the group of women with low frequency of negative parental practices have a high frequency of communication in the marital relationship. Couples with positive practices communicate more positively and relate more affectionately than couples with negative practices. Regarding as to maternal depression, the group of mothers with no indication of depression was able to express and receive affection and communication more frequently in their relationship. The same group communicates both positively and negatively with the spouse and interacts affectively both positively and negatively. However, the higher number of mothers in this group affirms that they are satisfied with their marital relationships. For the Study II, it was used the instruments “Questionário de Relacionamento Conjugal” , “Entrevista de Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais” and “Child Behavior Checklist” and, in general, it was obtained that the group of mothers of children without behavioral problems describe relationships with greater frequency of communication and affection, presenting relationships with more positive communication, however, also described negative communication and negative affection in the relationship. However, the greater number of mothers of children without behavioral problems still described being satisfied with their relationship. Concerning the comparisons related to children's social skills, it was obtained that the group of mothers of children without social skills deficits presented a higher frequency of communication in their relationship, communicating more negatively, however, acting more positively affectionate in the interaction with the spouse. As contributions to the present study, the relationship between marital satisfaction and parenthood, as well as between marital satisfaction and child behavior problem and child’s social skills, is highlighted, considering its relation to maternal depression. / CAPES: 1577273

A depressão materna é reconhecida como uma adversidade que incide sobre o ambiente familiar, mostrando-se associada a problemas comportamentais em escolares. Verifica-se a demanda por estudos que abordem condições de risco e proteção do ambiente familiar e que avaliem as crianças por múltiplos informantes. Objetivou-se: (a) comparar e correlacionar os recursos e eventos estressores do ambiente familiar de crianças que convivem com a depressão materna e que apresentam problemas de comportamento, com os apresentados por crianças que convivem com mães sem depressão e que não apresentam problemas comportamentais; e (b) comparar e correlacionar os comportamentos das crianças, segundo a avaliação das suas mães e professoras. Adotou-se um delineamento transversal e avaliou-se uma amostra de conveniência composta por 85 díades mães-crianças, distribuídas em: G1 = 26 mães com indicadores de depressão e crianças com problemas comportamentais; G2 = 29 mães sem indicadores de depressão e crianças com problemas comportamentais e G3 = 30 mães sem indicadores de depressão e crianças sem problemas comportamentais. Foram incluídas crianças de ambos os sexos, de sete a 10 anos. Procedeu-se à avaliação primeiramente com as mães, seguida das crianças e professoras. Foram aplicados com as mães, em sessão única, face a face, os instrumentos: Questionário Geral, Questionário sobre a Saúde do Paciente, Inventário de Recursos do Ambiente Familiar, Escala de Eventos Adversos, Escala de Adversidade Crônica e Questionário de Capacidades e Dificuldades (SDQ). As crianças foram avaliadas quanto ao nível intelectual pelo teste Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven Escala Especial. As professoras responderam ao SDQ - professores, precedido de informações sobre o desempenho escolar das crianças. Os dados obtidos foram codificados de acordo com as proposições técnicas e procedeu-se a análise dos mesmos por procedimentos estatísticos, adotando-se o nível de significância de 5% (p0,05). Quando das comparações entre os grupos verificou-se com diferenças significativas, que: as famílias que convivem com a depressão materna apresentaram mais indicadores de adversidades crônicas; e as crianças com problemas comportamentais, menos recursos e mais adversidades crônicas. As mães identificaram, com significância estatística, mais problemas de comportamento das crianças em relação às professoras; e ainda verificou-se associações entre a depressão materna e os problemas de comportamento dos escolares, na avaliação de mães (r = 0,490) e professoras (r = 0,294) e dos problemas comportamentais com o baixo desempenho escolar. Constatou-se que: (a) as crianças que convivem com a depressão materna apresentaram indicadores de múltiplas condições de risco em seu ambiente familiar, o que pode estar favorecendo os problemas comportamentais, os quais também se associaram a menos recursos; e (b) as mães e professoras divergiram quando das avaliações dos problemas de comportamento das crianças, evidenciando a utilização de diferentes parâmetros de avaliação nos contextos familiar e escolar. Considera-se que tais dados podem instrumentar programas de prevenção no contexto escolar e de intervenção no contexto familiar, com possíveis benefícios para o comportamento das crianças. / Maternal depression is known to be an adversity that affects the family environment and is associated with behavioral problems among schoolchildren. There is a need for studies addressing risk and protective conditions of the family environment assessing children through multiple informants. The objectives were (a) to compare and correlate resources and stressors in the family environment of children who live with maternal depression and present behavioral problems with the resources and the stressors of children whose mothers do not present depression and who do not present behavioral problems; and (b) to compare and correlate the behaviors of children from the perspective of their mothers and teachers. A cross-sectional design was used to assess a convenience sample composed of 85 mother-child pairs distributed between: G1 = 26 mothers with indicators of depression and children with behavioral problems; G2 = 29 mothers without indicators of depression and children with behavioral problems; and G3 = 30 mothers without indicators of depression and children without behavioral problems. Children aged from seven to 10 years old, of both sexes, were included. Assessment was initiated with the mothers, followed by the children and teachers. The following instruments were applied face-to-face to the mothers in a single session: General Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire, Family Environment Resource Inventory, Adverse Events Scale, Chronic Adversity Scale, and The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The childrens intellectual level was assessed using Ravens Progressive Matrices Special Scale. The teachers responded to the SDQ teachers, preceded by information on the childrens school performance. Data were coded according to technical propositions and statistically analyzed adopting a significance level of 5% (p0.05). Comparisons among groups showed the following significant differences: the families facing maternal depression presented more indicators of chronic adversities; and the children with behavioral problems presented fewer resources and more chronic adversities. The mothers identified more behavioral problems in children than teachers. The mothers (r = 0.490) and teachers (r = 0.294) assessments showed associations between maternal depression and childrens behavioral problems and between behavioral problems and poor school performance. We verified that: (a) children living with maternal depression presented multiple risk indicators in their family environment, which may have favored behavioral problems, which were also associated with having fewer resources; and (b) mothers and teachers diverged in regard to their assessments concerning the childrens behavioral problems, showing that different parameters were used in the family and school contexts. These data may support the development of preventive programs in the school context and also interventions for the family context, which may benefit childrens behaviors.

The daughters of women with a history of depression are at heightened risk for a range of mental health problems. The present study investigated emotion regulation, cortisol reactivity to stress, and interpersonal competence as potential indicators of risk in adolescent girls at high versus low risk for depression. Participants were a community sample of 47 girls and their mothers (27 high risk and 20 low risk). Mothers and daughters had been interviewed to assess diagnostic history as part of a previous longitudinal study. In the current study, daughters completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) and cortisol samples were collected before and after exposure to this psychosocial stressor. Both mothers and daughters completed self-report questionnaires and daughters were re-assessed using the Depressive Disorders module of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. High risk mothers were also interviewed to assess the timing and chronicity of their depressive episodes during their daughters’ lifetime. High and low risk girls had equivalent ratings of self-reported stress following the TSST-C, but different physiological responses. Girls at high risk for depression showed a blunted cortisol response to the TSST-C whereas low risk girls showed a normal cortisol response. High risk status for depression predicted a blunted cortisol response to stress, which predicted difficulties with emotion regulation; difficulties with emotion regulation in turn predicted a greater number of self-reported depressive symptoms. These results suggest that maternal depression may act as a stressor that compromises stress-response system functioning in daughters and produces related difficulties with emotion regulation.

In Head Start, 28.8% of the children enrolled are Dual Language Learners (DLLs), and 84.4% of those speak Spanish as their home language. However, there are limited studies involving DLLs. Using the Ecological Model of Human Development framework with current revisions with culture as part of the microsystem (Bronfenbrenner, 1994; Vélez-Agosto et al., 2017), the current study aimed to identify maternal level factors that may relate to Latinos' classroom peer play while controlling for classroom quality. Forty-five Latino DLL children attending Head Start, their mothers, and their teachers participated in the study. Head Start administrators provided their most recent vocabulary subtest scores of VPK Assessment and their Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) scores. Child participants’ mothers completed the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (BAS), the Parenting Styles and Dimensions, and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS16). Additionally, teachers rated the children's play behaviors with the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale. None of the models were statistically significant, suggesting that maternal level of acculturation, parenting style, or depression do not predict peer play. Yet, there were significant negative correlations between acculturation to the Hispanic culture, permissive parenting style, and maternal depression with children’s VPK scores on the oral language/vocabulary subtest. Future studies should consider ecological and cultural approaches to allow for a broader view of Latinos' development.

Thesis advisor: Thomas M. Crea / Thesis advisor: Ruth E. Prado P. / Undocumented Mexican immigrants and their children make up a considerable proportion of the United States population at risk of mental health problems. Yet research to inform the mental health of undocumented Mexican immigrants and their children is very limited, and the majority of existing studies are qualitative; both types of studies are needed to understand better the relationship among different factors that may influence the mental health of immigrant parents and their children. This three-paper dissertation analyzed the implications of parents’ and children’s immigration status for the mothers' mental health and the children’s behavioral problems. It utilized subsamples from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (L.A. FANS), a survey representative of Los Angeles County, which includes direct measures of respondent’s immigration status. Paper 1 used path analysis to examine the relationship between the mothers' immigration status and major depression, and whether self-efficacy served as a mediator. Surprisingly, undocumented mothers had fewer symptoms of major depression compared with Mexican American and documented mothers. However, when self-efficacy mediated the relationship, immigration status lowered self-efficacy, increasing symptoms of major depression. Paper 2 used hierarchical regression analysis to examine the associations of mother’s and children’s immigration status with children’s behavioral problems. Immigration status was significantly associated with internalizing problems, but not with externalizing problems. For children in mixed-status families, the influence of immigration status on internalizing problems was more severe for children in middle childhood compared to children in early childhood. The influence of immigration status on internalizing problems was more severe for adolescents compared to children in early childhood and middle childhood. Also, the mother’s self-efficacy ameliorated the negative influence of immigration status on children’s behavioral problems (internalizing and externalizing) for girls in undocumented and mixed-status families. Finally, marital conflict exacerbated the negative effects of immigration status on children’s behavioral problems (internalizing and externalizing) for girls in undocumented and mixed-status families. Paper 3 utilized path analysis to examine the mediating role of mother’s mental health (e.g., major depression and self-efficacy) and parenting stress in the relationship between immigration status and children’s behavioral problems. It was found that immigration status influences the mothers' mental health and parenting stress, which in turn influences the behavioral functioning of children in middle childhood and adolescents. Results of these three studies will help inform practice and policy by addressing critical gaps in the literature impacting a growing number of undocumented immigrant mothers and their children. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.