How maternal pre- and postnatal symptoms of depression and anxiety affect early mother-infant interaction?

Hetti Hakanen; Marjo Flykt; Eija Sinervä; Saara Nolvi; Eeva-Leena Kataja; Juho Pelto; Hasse Karlsson; Linnea Karlsson; Riikka Korja

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.06.048

How maternal pre- and postnatal symptoms of depression and anxiety affect early mother-infant interaction?

J Affect Disord. 2019 Oct 1:257:83-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.06.048. Epub 2019 Jul 2.

Authors

Hetti Hakanen¹, Marjo Flykt², Eija Sinervä³, Saara Nolvi⁴, Eeva-Leena Kataja⁵, Juho Pelto³, Hasse Karlsson⁶, Linnea Karlsson⁷, Riikka Korja⁸

Affiliations

¹ University of Turku, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Psychology, Turku, Finland. Electronic address: hetti.e.hakanen@utu.fi.
² University of Tampere, The Department of Psychology, Finland; Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, USA.
³ University of Turku, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland.
⁴ University of Turku, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Department of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany.
⁵ University of Turku, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Psychology, Turku, Finland.
⁶ University of Turku, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Turku, Finland.
⁷ University of Turku, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku, Finland.
⁸ University of Turku, Department of Psychology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland.

PMID: 31299408
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.06.048

Abstract

Background: Maternal pre- and postnatal psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression, may negatively affect mother-infant interaction quality. However, more information is needed on the role of specific types and timings of pre- and postnatal distress symptoms on mother-infant interaction. Research on the role of maternal anxiety is especially scarce.

Methods: We examined whether maternal pregnancy- related anxiety (gestational weeks 24 and 34), general anxiety or depressive symptoms (gw 14, 24 and 34 and at the infant age of 3 and 6 months) associate with the quality of mother-infant interaction when the child is eight months old. Maternal symptoms (N = 190) were measured with EPDS, SCL-90 anxiety subscale and PRAQ-R2. Mother-infant interaction was measured with the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS).

Results: After controlling for background factors, general anxiety at the 3rd pregnancy trimester was associated with higher maternal intrusiveness in EAS. Depressive symptoms at 6 months postpartum associated with lower maternal structuring behavior and with the child's lower involvement of the mother.

Limitations: A very small number of mothers with severe symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Conclusions: Prenatal anxiety and postnatal depressive symptoms may each have unique effects on the different areas of mother-infant interaction, suggesting the need to develop more targeted interventions for mothers with different symptom profiles and timings. Prenatally anxious mothers could potentially benefit from early interventions decreasing stress and anxiety symptoms and specifically promoting their ability to read infant cues appropriately. Infants of postnatally depressed mothers may need interventions where both members of the dyad receive help.

Keywords: Anxiety symptoms; Depressive symptoms; Emotional availability scale; Mother-infant -interaction; Pregnancy-related anxiety; Prenatal stress.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adult
Depression / psychology*
Depression, Postpartum / psychology*
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Maternal Behavior / psychology*
Mother-Child Relations / psychology*
Mothers / psychology*
Postpartum Period / psychology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications / psychology*