Correlates of depression according to maternal age.
A convenience sample of 654 low-income, primarily single, head-of-household mothers participated in a study of the correlates of maternal depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression (CES-D). Across three age groupings, the CES-D was positively correlated with punitive attitudes toward childrearing, inaccurate knowledge of child development, and insufficient social support. Social support was the best predictor of depression from a set of seven potential sociodemographic and psychological predictors. Objective measures of parenting behavior obtained with the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment were not associated with depression.
Reis
J
J
School of Nursing, State University of New York, Buffalo.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002657:Child Development; D002668:Child Rearing; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008423:Maternal Age; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment