title: Rumination decreases parental problem-solving effectiveness in dysphoric postnatal mothers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postnatal depression is associated with poorer parenting quality, but there are few studies examining maternal-specific cognitive processes that may impact on parenting quality. In this study, we examined the impact of rumination on parental problem-solving effectiveness in dysphoric and non-dysphoric postnatal mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine mothers with a infant aged 12 months and under, 20 of whom had a Beck Depression Score II (BDI-II) score ≥ 14, and 39 who scored less than 14 on the BDI-II were randomly assigned to either a rumination or distraction condition. Problem-solving effectiveness was assessed post-induction with the "Postnatal Parental Problem-Solving Task" (PPST), which was adapted from the Means Ends Problem-solving task. Parental problem-solving confidence was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dysphoric ruminating mothers exhibited poorer problem-solving effectiveness and poorer confidence regarding their problem-solving compared to dysphoric distracting, non-dysphoric distracting, and non-dysphoric ruminating mothers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A self-report measure of depressed mood was used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rumination may be a key mechanism associated with both depressive mood and maternal parenting quality during the postnatal period.
authors.affiliation: University of Exeter, Mood Disorders Centre, Exeter, EX4 0AD, England, UK. Electronic address: ho215@ex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: O'Mahen
authors.affiliation: University of Exeter, Mood Disorders Centre, Exeter, EX4 0AD, England, UK. Electronic address: A.Boyd@ex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.affiliation: University of Exeter, Mood Disorders Centre, Exeter, EX4 0AD, England, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gashe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001288:Attention; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011340:Problem Solving; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
keywords: Parental competence; Parenting; Postpartum depression; Problem-solving; Rumination; Worry