Reductions in stress and depressive symptoms in mothers of substance-exposed infants, participating in a psychosocial program.
OBJECTIVE
Depression profoundly impairs psychosocial functioning. Depression can have disruptive effects on a person's family, with significant impact on the psychosocial development of the children. Recent research suggests that a mother's depressive symptoms may increase parenting stress and that parenting stress may, in turn, increase depressive symptoms, with a possible negative cycle to this process. Little is known about how these two factors interact in drug-involved mothers. This study examines how the NEW CONNECTIONS intervention (a parental education and support program for drug-involved parents) acts on parental stress and symptoms of depression.


METHODS
The study site was the NEW CONNECTIONS Infant Intervention Program. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) were administered to drug- and alcohol-involved mothers (N = 120) at baseline and after the intervention (Week 12).


RESULTS
Four of the seven PSI domains of parenting stress showed a significant reduction (Demandingness, Competence, Isolation, and Role Restriction). Changes in four domains were significantly correlated with reductions in depressive symptoms (Competence, Isolation, Attachment, and Role Restriction). There was a significant reduction in depressive symptoms as measured by the BDI-II.


CONCLUSIONS
Reduction in some aspects of parenting stress is associated with reduction in depressive symptoms in mothers of substance-exposed infants who participated in the NEW CONNECTIONS psychosocial intervention targeting the parent-child relationship.
Kern
Janet K
JK
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-9119, USA. janet.kern@utsouthwestern.edu
West
Emily Y
EY
Grannemann
Bruce D
BD
Greer
Tracy L
TL
Snell
Laura M
LM
Cline
Lori L
LL
VanBeveren
Toosje T
TT
Heartwell
Stephen F
SF
Kleiber
Beverly A
BA
Trivedi
Madhukar H
MH
D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D016730:Program Development; D011584:Psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires