longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age
N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms
Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy
![Page 2: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Acknowledgements:
Cindy-Lee Dennis Cara Fedick Kathleen Hegadoren Miriam Stewart Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council, Initiative on the New Economy
![Page 3: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Depressed mothers often:
have impaired maternal-infant interactions and negative perceptions of normal infant behavior
less likely to pick up on their infants’ cues resulting in less positive feedback and a decreased likelihood of meeting their infants’ needs
![Page 4: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Depressed mothers often:
less sensitive and appropriate in their interactions with their children, and more negative in their play
speak more slowly and less often less emotionally expressive and
responsive less affectionate and more anxious
![Page 5: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Disturbances in mother-child interactions are observed at one year postpartum, even when mothers are no longer depressed.
![Page 6: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Infants more often:
abused or neglected
diagnosed with ‘failure to thrive’
hospitalized for poor health
![Page 7: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Two meta-analyses suggest that PPD has a significant effect on infants’ cognitive and social development.
![Page 8: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
3 to 7 month old infants:
are more tense, less content show fewer positive facial expressions,
more negative expressions and protest behavior
more drowsy, fussy, withdrawn, disruptive, avoidant, and disengaged in maternal-infant interactions and in toy play.
![Page 9: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
19 month old infants:
show less sharing, concentration, and sociability to strangers, and a lower overall rate of interaction
less responsive and interactive and show decreased positive affect
show more insecure (avoidant) attachment.
![Page 10: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
3- 5 year old children:
are more “difficult” respond in negative
manner to friendly approaches by other children
boys most likely to show behaviour problems
![Page 11: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Long-term effects
Parental mental health problems can compromise 12 year-old children’s behavioral adjustment.
Children of mothers who experienced PPD are two to five times more likely to develop long-term behavioral problems.
![Page 12: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Boys and girls
Boys of depressed mothers tend to display more externalizing behaviors including aggression and hyperactivity characterized by antisocial, active, and distractible behaviors
Girls of depressed mothers tend to display more internalizing behaviors such as anxiety and withdrawal
![Page 13: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Theory
PPD disrupts maternal behavior and infant interactions and engagements with the mother, and as a consequence, impairs infant health and developmental outcomes.
![Page 14: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Theory
SocioeconomicStatus
MaternalDepression
FamilyFunctioning
ParentingStyle
Engagement
Children’sOutcomes
![Page 15: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Research Question
Compared to mothers who are not depressed after childbirth, what is the impact of maternal depression on children’s anxiety, hyperactivity, aggression and prosocial behaviors over time?
![Page 16: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Do factors such as parenting, social support, SES, and child gender affect this impact?
![Page 17: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Where did we get our data?
National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY)
Launched in 1994 by Statistics Canada to track the development, health, and well-being of a nationally-representative sample of children in Canada over time.
Four cycles of NLSCY data were used:
Cycle 1 (1994-95), Cycle 2 (1996-97), Cycle 3 (1998-99) and Cycle 4 (2000-01).
![Page 18: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
How many families?
Four cycles of NLSCY data were used:
Cycle 1 (1994-95), Cycle 2 (1996-97), Cycle 3 (1998-99) & Cycle 4 (2000-01).
3533 mothers and children were in our sample
691 mothers were depressed when their infants were less than 2 years of age.
![Page 19: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Behaviour Measures
Anxiety Hyperactivity Aggression Prosocial 1 = Never or not true, 2 = Somewhat or
sometimes true, and 3 = often or very true
Higher scores show increased presence of behavior in the child.
![Page 20: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Method
Hierarchical linear modelling
Allows analysis of growth trajectories
![Page 21: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Outcome variable
Cycle 2Age 2 to 4 years
Depressed Non-depressed
Anxiety 1.28 (0.275) 1.20 (0.238)
Hyperactivity 1.74 (0.448) 1.62 (0.400)
Aggression 1.49 (0.478) 1.40 (0.428)
Prosocial Behavior 2.12 (0.544) 2.13 (0.524)
![Page 22: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Outcome variable
Cycle 3Age 4 to 6 years
Depressed Non-depressed
Anxiety 1.32 (0.293) 1.25 (0.259)
Hyperactivity 1.74 (0.442) 1.58 (0.399)
Aggression 1.35 (0.390) 1.26 (0.311)
Prosocial Behavior 2.22 (0.407) 2.22 (0.385)
![Page 23: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Outcome variable
Cycle 4Age 6 to 8 years
Depressed Non-depressed
Anxiety 1.38 (0.344) 1.31 (0.301)
Hyperactivity 1.72 (0.480) 1.58 (0.416)
Aggression 1.29 (0.380) 1.23 (0.308)
Prosocial Behavior 2.38 (0.406) 2.41 (0.363)
![Page 24: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Findings
1.00
1.25
1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
2.50
2 3 4 5 6 7 8Age (in years)
Be
ha
vio
ur
Sc
ore
Non-Depressed: Hyperactivity
Non-Depressed: Aggression
Depressed: AggressionNon-Depressed: Anxiety
Depressed: Anxiety
Depressed: Hyperactivity
Non-Depressed and Depressed: Prosocial Behaviour
![Page 25: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Then we added the other variables: Parenting
Positive discipline Warm and nurturing Consistent
Social Support SES Single Parent Gender
![Page 26: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
What happened?
The effects of postpartum depression were diminished
![Page 27: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Anxiety
Positive discipline and consistent parenting lowered the level of anxiety at 2 years of age.
Being in a single parent household raised the initial level of anxiety in 2-year-old children.
![Page 28: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Hyperactivity
Positive discipline, warm and nurturing parenting and SES all decrease initial levels of hyperactivity in two year olds.
Female children have lower levels of hyperactivity than males at age two.
![Page 29: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Aggression
Initial Aggression scores are lower for 2 year old children who experience positive discipline and warm and nurturing parenting
![Page 30: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Discussion
Exposure to maternal depression in infancy appears to affect children’s behavior at two years of age and these effects may persist to eight years of age and beyond.
However, parenting characteristics may have a greater impact on children’s anxiety, hyperactivity, aggression, and prosocial behaviours.
![Page 31: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Intervention:
Needs to start early Should target parenting behaviours Should be offered to all parents,
regardless of depression
![Page 32: Longitudinal study of the impact of postpartum depression on children's behavior to 8 years of age N. Letourneau and J. D. Willms Canadian Research Institute](https://reader038.vdocuments.mx/reader038/viewer/2022110319/56649c735503460f94925833/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Thank you