Responsivity to offspring's expression of emotion among childhood-onset depressed mothers.
This study examined responsivity of mothers with childhood-onset depression (COD) in relation to children's overt expression of positive and negative emotion. It was hypothesized that COD and control mothers would differ in contingent responsivity to their children's expression of both positivity and different types of negative emotionality. Using observations and maternal reports of their own emotional reactions, COD mothers were found to be less responsive to children's expression of distress. A Gender x Group interaction was also found with respect to observed maternal responsiveness to child positivity, such that COD mothers were more responsive to girls' than boys' expression of positivity. The results are discussed in reference to transactional models of early child psychopathology.
Shaw
Daniel S
DS
Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. casey@pitt.edu
Schonberg
Michael
M
Sherrill
Joel
J
Huffman
Drew
D
Lukon
Joella
J
Obrosky
David
D
Kovacs
Maria
M
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors