title: Parenting stress and depressive symptoms in postpartum mothers: bidirectional or unidirectional effects?
abstract: Despite the consistent link between parenting stress and postpartum depressive symptoms, few studies have explored the relationships longitudinally. The purpose of this study was to test bidirectional and unidirectional models of depressive symptoms and parenting stress. Uniquely, three specific domains of parenting stress were examined: parental distress, difficult child stress, and parent-child dysfunctional interaction (PCDI). One hundred and five women completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form at 3, 7, and 14 months after giving birth. Structural equation modeling revealed that total parenting stress predicted later depressive symptoms, however, there were different patterns between postpartum depressive symptoms and different types of parenting stress. A unidirectional model of parental distress predicting depressive symptoms best fit the data, with significant stability paths but non-significant cross-lagged paths. A unidirectional model of depressive symptoms predicted significant later difficult child stress. No model fit well with PCDI. Future research should continue to explore the specific nature of the associations of postpartum depression and different types of parenting stress on infant development and the infant-mother relationship.
authors: University of Michigan, School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI, United States. Electronic address: lizzyb@umich.edu.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Thomason
authors: University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth and Development, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
authors: Brenda L
authors: BL
authors: Volling
authors: Florida State University, College of Medicine in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors: Heather A
authors: HA
authors: Flynn
authors: University of Michigan, School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
authors: Susan C
authors: SC
authors: McDonough
authors: University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
authors: Sheila M
authors: SM
authors: Marcus
authors: University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
authors: Juan F
authors: JF
authors: Lopez
authors: University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
authors: Delia M
authors: DM
authors: Vazquez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Maternal cognitions; Parenting stress; Postpartum depression