Postnatal Parental Depression, Family Dynamics in Early Parenting

描述（由申请人提供）：父母和家庭特征已被清楚地证明对儿童发展有影响，并特别关注早期养育。具体而言，大量文献记录了母亲早期抑郁对儿童发育、心理健康和成功适应的负面影响。很少有人关注父亲抑郁症的影响或家庭系统中抑郁症的性质。初步研究表明，父母关系可能在解释父母抑郁症状水平与儿童功能下降之间的明显相关性方面发挥关键作用。目前的试点项目将招募80对母亲/父亲进行前瞻性队列设计，以测量抑郁症、父母关系质量、父母养育以及产前和产后1、3和9个月的早期养育经历。本研究将描述父母双方早期抑郁的过程和变化动态，以及关系和父母养育障碍在家庭系统中长期存在的抑郁中所起的作用。此外，这些因素加在一起，将被研究对早期父母养育和养育经历的影响，这是父母抑郁可能向儿童功能传递负面影响的关键机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Parental and family characteristics have been clearly documented as influential on child development and particular attention has been paid to early parenting. Specifically, a considerable literature documents the negative effects of early maternal depression on child development, mental health, and successful adjustment. Much less focus has been placed on the effects of paternal depression or the nature of depression within a family system. Preliminary studies have suggested that parental relationship may play a key role in both explaining the apparent correlation between parents' levels of depressive symptomatology and decrements in child functioning. The current pilot project will enroll 80 mother/father pairs in a prospective cohort design that will measure depression, parental relationship quality, coparenting, and early parenting experiences prenatally and at 1, 3, and 9 months postnatally. By using this design, the present study will describe the course and change dynamics in early parental depression in both parents as well as the role that relationship and coparenting disturbance plays in perpetuating depression within a family system. Moreover, these factors, taken together will be examined for effects on early coparenting and parenting experiences, which are critical mechanisms through which parental depression presumably conveys its negative effects to child functioning. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Child health and development is strongly influenced by early parenting quality, which is itself sensitive to parental distress and depressive disorders. Considerable evidence suggests that early maternal depression is a major risk factor for poor child outcomes including child emotional and behavioral disturbances. New information suggests that the same may be true for early paternal depression and, moreover, that depression may correlate between partners. The proposed study will benefit the public health through providing information about the dynamics of depression in new families, along with potential risk factors and leverage points for the development of intervention and prevention strategies for new parents.