Maternal depression, social behavior, contextual risks and child behavior problems

Objective. Maternal depression is associated with negative child outcomes, but the way by which maternal depression confers risk is unclear. This work evaluated emotional socialization and contextual risks on the relationship between maternal depression and child problem behavior.;Method. Two-hundred and fifteen mother-child dyads in 153 families participated in a home assessment when the child was approximately two-years-old. Mothers completed a depression symptom questionnaire. Observer ratings of mother-child interactions provided the measures of emotional socialization. Cluster analysis created three emotional socialization patterns. Maternal report and observer ratings of toddler emotion-related behavior (tantrums, crying, fearfulness and emotional regulation) were assessed and a contextual risk index was created from maternal report of family stressors. Follow-up questionnaires were sent approximately 7 years later: 105 offspring participated in the follow-up.;Results. Maternal depressive symptoms were significantly related to maternal report of tantrums (beta = .211, s.e. = .069, p < .003), crying (beta = .250, s.e. = .07, p < .001) and fearfulness (beta = .146, s.e. = .146, p < .037). Maternal depression at child age two predicted both internalizing and externalizing problems, 7--8 years later (Internalizing beta = .349, s.e. = .095, p < .001; Externalizing beta = .314, s.e. = .097, p < .002). In both assessments, the relationship between early maternal depression and later child behavior was modified by emotional socialization pattern. Specifically, in the group of mothers demonstrating positive emotional socialization (PS), there was no significant relationship between early maternal depression and current or later offspring internalizing or externalizing problems. In the mothers showing negative affective climate (NAC) and those with low responsivity and little emotion teaching (LRE), early maternal depression symptoms were significantly related to observer ratings of toddler fearfulness and predictive of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems 7 to 8 years later (NAC: Internalizing beta = .534, s.e. = .234, p < .025; Externalizing beta = .564, s.e. = .244, p < .023 and LRE: Internalizing beta = .631, s.e. = .156 p < .001; Externalizing beta = .435, s.e. = .163, p < .009).;Conclusions. This study suggests that maternal depression is a robust predictor of child behavior problems. Additionally, the relationship between early maternal depression and offspring problem behavior, including concurrent and later internalizing and externalizing problems appears conditional on the quality of early mother-child interactions.