Association of maternal and paternal perinatal depression and anxiety with infant development: A longitudinal study

Alana M Rogers; George J Youssef; Samantha Teague; Matthew Sunderland; Genevieve Le Bas; Jacqui A Macdonald; Richard P Mattick; Steve Allsop; Elizabeth J Elliott; Craig A Olsson; Delyse Hutchinson

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.06.020

Association of maternal and paternal perinatal depression and anxiety with infant development: A longitudinal study

J Affect Disord. 2023 Oct 1:338:278-288. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.06.020. Epub 2023 Jun 9.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: amro@deakin.edu.au.
² Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: george.youssef@deakin.edu.au.
³ Department of Psychology, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: sam.teague@jcu.edu.au.
⁴ University of Sydney, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: matthew.sunderland@sydney.edu.au.
⁵ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: g.lebas@deakin.edu.au.
⁶ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Australia. Electronic address: jacqui.macdonald@deakin.edu.au.
⁷ The University of New South Wales, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: r.mattick@unsw.edu.au.
⁸ Curtin University, National Drug Research Institute, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: s.allsop@curtin.edu.au.
⁹ University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Child and Adolescence, New South Wales, Australia; Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: elizabeth.elliott@health.nsw.gov.au.
¹⁰ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Australia. Electronic address: craig.olsson@deakin.edu.au.
¹¹ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; The University of New South Wales, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, New South Wales, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Australia. Electronic address: delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.

PMID: 37302506
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.06.020

Abstract

Background: Maternal and paternal perinatal depression and anxiety are theorised to adversely impact infant development. Yet, few studies have assessed both mental health symptoms and clinical diagnoses within the one study. Moreover, research on fathers is limited. This study therefore aimed to examine the association between symptoms and diagnoses of maternal and paternal perinatal depression and anxiety with infant development.

Method: Data were from the Triple B Pregnancy Cohort Study. Participants included 1539 mothers and 793 partners. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview in trimester three. Infant development was assessed at 12-months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development.

Results: Antepartum, maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were associated with poorer infant social-emotional (d = -0.11, p = .025) and language development (d = -0.16, p = .001). At 8-weeks postpartum, maternal anxiety symptoms were associated with poorer overall development (d = -0.11, p = .030). No association was observed for clinical diagnoses in mothers, nor paternal depressive and anxiety symptoms or clinical diagnoses; albeit risk estimates were largely in the expected direction of adverse effects on infant development.

Conclusions: Evidence suggests that maternal perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms may adversely impact infant development. Effects were small but findings underscore the importance of prevention, early screening and intervention, alongside consideration of other risk factors during early critical periods.

Keywords: Antenatal; Anxiety; Child development; Depression; Perinatal; Postnatal.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anxiety / epidemiology
Anxiety / psychology
Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
Anxiety Disorders / psychology
Cohort Studies
Depression / epidemiology
Depression / psychology
Depression, Postpartum* / diagnosis
Depression, Postpartum* / epidemiology
Depression, Postpartum* / psychology
Depressive Disorder, Major* / diagnosis
Depressive Disorder, Major* / epidemiology
Fathers / psychology
Female
Humans
Infant
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Mothers / psychology
Pregnancy