title: The relations among maternal depressive disorder, maternal expressed emotion, and toddler behavior problems and attachment.
abstract: Direct and indirect relations among maternal depression, maternal Expressed Emotion (EE: Self- and Child-Criticism), child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and child attachment were examined. Participants were mothers with depression (n = 130) and comparison mothers (n = 68) and their toddlers (M age = 20 mo.; 53% male). Assessments included the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (maternal depression); the Five Minute Speech Sample (EE); the Child Behavior Checklist (toddler behavior problems); the Strange Situation (child attachment). Direct relations were significant linking: 1) maternal depression with both EE and child functioning; 2) Child-Criticism with child internalizing and externalizing symptoms; 3) Self-Criticism with child attachment. Significant indirect relations were found linking maternal depression with: 1) child externalizing behaviors via Child-Criticism; 2) child internalizing behaviors via Self- and Child-Criticism; and 3) child attachment via Self-Criticism. Findings are consistent with a conceptual model in which maternal EE mediates relations between maternal depression and toddler socio-emotional functioning.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, NY, USA. jgravene@psych.rochester.edu
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gravener
authors.forename: Fred A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Rogosch
authors.forename: Assaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oshri
authors.forename: Angela J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Narayan
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cicchetti
authors.forename: Sheree L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Toth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D055815:Young Adult