DEPRESSION RISK, INFANT-MOTHER ATTACHMENT AND CORTISOL

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We are interested in studying mothers that are at risk for depression and their interaction with their infants during the first 14 months of life. The reason that we are interested in this topic is that over the last decade a number of long-term studies have confirmed that children of affectively ill parents are at a greater risk for psychiatric disorders than children from homes with unaffected parents. Although a genetic predisposition is clearly evident in these individuals, social, familial and environmental factors are also strong predictors. In particular, the impact of maternal depression on the initiation of this process may be substantial, as depression affects many facets of communication in the maternal-infant unit. Rate of speech, voice quality, eye-to-eye contact and behavioral responsiveness are core aspects of the mother-infant relationship which develop early in life and are affected by depression. Although these changes in the mother's behavior may appear to be subtle they interfere with the facilitation of the infant's neurological, motor and social development. Therefore a portion of this project focuses on observing and recording (through self-report) mothers' feelings and interactions with their babies during periodically scheduled home visits. Another portion of this study focuses on determining how stress related hormones which have been linked to depression may change overtime as the mother progresses through her pregnancy, at birth and in both mother and infant, as the maternal-infant relationship matures. The purpose is to better understand the role of early development of these hormones on the evolution of depressive disorders. Identifying behaviors, abnormal hormonal function and its temporal relationships early in life will allow for early intervention strategies that may be beneficial for both mother's affect and the infant's physical and emotional development.