title: Psychopathology in adolescent mothers and its effects on mother-infant interactions: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed adolescent maternal psychopathology and its relation to the quality of mother-infant interactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one mother-infant pairs recruited from an adolescent medicine clinic were assessed for socio-demographic background, psychosocial adversity, conduct disorder, alcohol or substance dependence, and depression. Dyads were videotaped during free play and their interactions rated using the Crittenden Child-Adult Relational Experimental (CARE) Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large proportion of mothers exhibited psychopathology. Severity of maternal depression correlated positively with maternal controllingness and infant difficulty. Severity of maternal antisocial history correlated positively with maternal unresponsiveness and infant passivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though preliminary, this work suggests that adolescent maternal depression and antisocial history have different effects on the quality of mother-infant interactions. Researchers and clinicians interested in adolescent parenting should consider psychopathology as a contributing variable to the quality of mother-infant interactions.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ontario.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoccolillo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects