Maternal self-confidence postpartum and at pre-school age: the role of depression, anxiety disorders, maternal attachment insecurity.
The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of maternal postpartum depression and/or anxiety disorders according to DMS-IV on maternal self-confidence throughout infancy and early childhood. Exploratively, associations between maternal attachment insecurity and maternal self-confidence at pre-school age were examined. The sample (N = 54) of this prospective longitudinal study was comprised of n = 27 women with postpartum depression and/or anxiety disorders according to DSM-IV criteria and n = 27 healthy women without present or history of mental health disorders or psychotherapy. Data was collected in the postpartum period (M = 60.08 days) and at pre-school age (M = 4.7 years). Subjects were recruited between 2004 and 2011 in South Germany. Data revealed a significant difference in maternal self-confidence between clinical and control group at child's pre-school age: Women with postpartum depression and/or anxiety disorder scored lower on maternal self-confidence than healthy controls, but only if they had current SCID-diagnoses or partly remitted symptoms. According to explorative analyses maternal attachment insecurity turned out to be the strongest predictor of maternal self-confidence at pre-school age besides maternal mental health status. The results emphasize the impact of attachment insecurity and maternal mental health regarding maternal self-confidence leading to potential adverse long-term consequences for the mother-child relationship. Attachment based interventions taking maternal self-confidence into account are needed.
Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, General Psychiatry, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Anna-Lena
AL
Zietlow
Myriam Kim
MK
Schlüter
Nora
N
Nonnenmacher
Mitho
M
Müller
Corinna
C
Reck
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult