The role of depressive rumination for early mother-infant interactions

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Depressive rumination is considered an important vulnerability factor for the development and maintenance of depressive disorders. Yet, there is very limited knowledge about the role of rumination for postpartal depression and early mother-infant interactions. In a prospective longitudinal study including four assessments (two pre- and two postnatal), the influence of rumination on maternal well-being as well as on interaction behaviors of mothers and infants will be examined. Using self-reports of (expectant) mothers (all four assessments) it will be assessed to what extent ruminative thinking is associated with the maintenance and aggravation of peri- and postnatal depression as well as self-reported impairments in the mother-infant relationship. Using observational measures (last assessment) it will be tested to what extent habitual rumination predicts maternal contingency in mother-infant interactions as well as emotional reactions of infants to an interruption of a face-to-face interaction with their mothers. It is expected that pre- and postnatal rumination predicts self-reported maternal depression and impacts both on maternal as well as infant interactive behaviours.