title: Longitudinal pathways from early maternal depression to children's dysregulated representations: a moderated mediation analysis of harsh parenting and gender.
abstract: There is some evidence linking maternal depression, harsh parenting, and children's internal representations of attachment, yet, longitudinal examinations of these relationships and differences in the developmental pathways between boys and girls are lacking. Moderated mediation growth curves were employed to examine harsh parenting as a mechanism underlying the link between maternal depression and children's dysregulated representations using a nationally-representative, economically-vulnerable sample of mothers and their children (n = 575; 49% boys, 51% girls). Dysregulation representations were measured using the MacArthur Story Stem Battery at five years of age (M = 5.14, SD = 0.29). Harsh parenting mediated the association between early maternal depression and dysregulated representations for girls. Though initial harsh parenting was a significant mediator for boys, a stronger direct effect of maternal depression to dysregulated representations emerged over time. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for intervention efforts aimed at promoting early supportive parenting.
authors.affiliation: a University of Maryland School of Social Work , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Tiffany L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Martoccio
authors.affiliation: b Department of Human Development and Family Studies , Michigan State University , East Lansing , MI , USA.
authors.forename: Holly E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Brophy-Herb
authors.affiliation: c Child Study Center , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA.
authors.forename: Angela N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Maupin
authors.affiliation: d Department of Human Development and Family Studies , University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA.
authors.forename: Joann L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gender differences; harsh parenting; internal representations; low-income; maternal depression; story stem narratives