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Perinatal anxiety and depressive symptoms and perception of child behavior and temperament in early motherhood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2020

Michelle L. Miller Open the ORCID record for Michelle L. Miller [Opens in a new window] ,
Breanna M. Williams ,
Jennifer E. McCabe ,
J. Austin Williamson ,
Suzanne King ,
David P. Laplante ,
Kimberly J. Hart  and
Michael W. O’Hara
Michelle L. Miller*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W311 Seashore Hall W., Iowa City, IA52242, USA
Breanna M. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W311 Seashore Hall W., Iowa City, IA52242, USA
Jennifer E. McCabe
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W311 Seashore Hall W., Iowa City, IA52242, USA Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, 516 High St, Bellingham, WA98225, USA
J. Austin Williamson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W311 Seashore Hall W., Iowa City, IA52242, USA
Suzanne King
Affiliation:
Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 LaSalle Blvd., Montreal, QuebecH4H 1R3, Canada Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Dr Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QuebecH3A 1B1, Canada
David P. Laplante
Affiliation:
Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 LaSalle Blvd., Montreal, QuebecH4H 1R3, Canada
Kimberly J. Hart
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W311 Seashore Hall W., Iowa City, IA52242, USA
Michael W. O’Hara
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W311 Seashore Hall W., Iowa City, IA52242, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Michelle L. Miller, Rush University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1645 W. Jackson Blvd, Suite 400, Chicago, IL60612, USA. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The perinatal period is a vulnerable time for the development of psychopathology, particularly mood and anxiety disorders. In the study of maternal anxiety, important questions remain regarding the association between maternal anxiety symptoms and subsequent child outcomes. This study examined the association between depressive and anxiety symptoms, namely social anxiety, panic, and agoraphobia disorder symptoms during the perinatal period and maternal perception of child behavior, specifically different facets of development and temperament. Participants (N = 104) were recruited during pregnancy from a community sample. Participants completed clinician-administered and self-report measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 16 months postpartum; child behavior and temperament outcomes were assessed at 16 months postpartum. Child development areas included gross and fine motor skills, language and problem-solving abilities, and personal/social skills. Child temperament domains included surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that elevated prenatal social anxiety symptoms significantly predicted more negative maternal report of child behavior across most measured domains. Elevated prenatal social anxiety and panic symptoms predicted more negative maternal report of child effortful control. Depressive and agoraphobia symptoms were not significant predictors of child outcomes. Elevated anxiety symptoms appear to have a distinct association with maternal report of child development and temperament. Considering the relative influence of anxiety symptoms, particularly social anxiety, on maternal report of child behavior and temperament can help to identify potential difficulties early on in mother–child interactions as well as inform interventions for women and their families.

Keywords

anxiety symptomsdepressive symptomsperinatal periodchild developmentchild temperament
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , June 2021 , pp. 513 - 522
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

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