The relationship of depressive symptoms to parenting competence and social support in inner-city mothers of young children.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the high prevalence of maternal depression and its negative consequences for children, many pediatricians fail to identify this problem. Our goal was to determine whether simple questions about parenting competence and the adequacy of maternal social support might be useful to providers in determining which inner-city mothers are likely to be depressed.


METHODS
We surveyed a convenience sample of 279 English-speaking mothers of children 6 months to 3 years old prior to a routine visit at an urban, hospital-based general pediatrics clinic. The mothers self-completed the Psychiatric Symptom Index (PSI) and the Parenting Stress Index Sense of Competence subscale, and rated the adequacy of their social support, and provided health and sociodemographic data by face-to-face interview.


RESULTS
41% of mothers had "high" PSI symptom levels and 22% had scores above a criterion that suggests major depressive disorder. In addition, 15% experienced high parenting stress (low competence) and 42% reported little or no social support. High distress was unrelated to a variety of sociodemographic risk factors, but significantly associated with a poor sense of parenting competence (Adj. OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.5, 7.0) and inadequate perceived social support (Adj. OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.2, 4.4), as well as with having health-related activity limitations (Adj. OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.1, 9.0).


CONCLUSIONS
Negative ratings of parenting competence, low perceived social support, and presence of health-related activity restrictions can be useful markers of likely depression among inner-city mothers of young children. These factors are often assessed during routine pediatric visits and may be helpful to pediatricians in identifying mothers needing further evaluation or treatment by mental health specialists.
Silver
Ellen Johnson
EJ
Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA. ejsilver@aecom.yu.edu
Heneghan
Amy M
AM
Bauman
Laurie J
LJ
Stein
Ruth E K
RE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010372:Pediatrics; D011594:Psychometrics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D014505:Urban Population