title: Antenatal domestic violence, maternal mental health and subsequent child behaviour: a cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the long-term impact of antenatal domestic violence on maternal psychiatric morbidity and child behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Avon, UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  A birth cohort of 13,617 children and mother dyads were followed to 42 months of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiences of domestic violence and depressive symptoms were gathered at 18 weeks of gestation and up to 33 months after birth, together with maternal, paternal and child characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Child behavioural problems were assessed at 42 months using the Revised Rutter Questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Logistic regression with the use of multiple imputation employing chained equations for missing data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antenatal domestic violence was associated with high levels of maternal antenatal (odds ratio [OR], 4.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4-4.8) and postnatal (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.02-1.63) depressive symptoms after adjustment for potential confounders. Antenatal domestic violence predicted future behavioural problems at 42 months in the child before adjustment for possible confounding and mediating factors (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.45-2.40); this association was not significant after adjustment for high levels of maternal antenatal depressive symptoms, postnatal depressive symptoms or domestic violence since birth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antenatal domestic violence is associated with high levels of both maternal antenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms. It is also associated with postnatal violence, and both are associated with future behavioural problems in the child at 42 months. This is partly mediated by maternal depressive symptoms in the ante- or postnatal period.
authors.affiliation: Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leese
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feder
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult