Maternal and paternal anxiety/depression and difficult temperament outcome in infant offspring: a follow-up study from pregnancy to 3 months old infants

LUCARELLI, LOREDANA;DI FOLCO, SIMONA;SECHI, CRISTINA;Salvatori, Paola;Chatoor, Irene

2015-01-01

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Abstract

Objectives: to evaluate first-time mothers’ and fathers’ anxiety/depression from pregnancy to 3 months postpartum, and to examine whether mother’s or father’s anxiety/depression, or both are associated with difficult infant’s temperament and distress in her/his role as parent. Methods: The sample is composed of 96 first-time mothers (MAge = 35.3, SD = 4.7) and fathers (MAge = 37.6, SD = 5.4), and their 48 newborn babies (MAge = 114 days, SD = 15.62). Between the 24th–28th weeks of pregnancy, parents filled out the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. At 3 months after birth, mothers and fathers were again asked to fill out the EPDS and STAI and completed the Parenting Stress Index and Infant Behavior Questionnaire. Results: Mothers’ and fathers’ scores were correlated with the state-trait anxiety and depression during pregnancy and at 3-months postpartum. Concerning the mothers, a correlation between higher anxiety scores during pregnancy and at 3-months postpartum and infant “sadness” emerged. Correlations were found between mothers' higher anxiety/depression scores and higher parental distress, and between higher mothers’ anxiety and higher degree of difficult behavior the mother perceived. With respect to the fathers, higher scores in anxiety/depression during pregnancy and at 3-months of the baby’s life correlated with infant “negative emotionality”, as well as with higher levels of parental distress and higher degree of difficult behavior the father perceived. Conclusions: Screening for paternal perinatal depression, especially when mothers are depressed, may be effective to identify at risk families, in order to improve early-targeted interventions.