Concurrent and Longitudinal Relations Between Maternal Depression and Infant Sleep

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

Infants are inextricably embedded in their family context and engaged in a transactional relationship with their caregivers. Therefore, it is important to examine factors within this system to help explain both infant development and caregiver functioning. Postpartum depression is one factor that can influence infant outcomes, as the mother experiences a lack of problem-solving abilities, reduced emotion regulation, and decreased distress tolerance. Previous research has shown that sleep is one aspect of infant development that is negatively impacted by maternal depression. Researchers have found that higher levels of maternal depression predict increased night wakings and more sleep problems in infants (Gress Smith et al., 2012; Pinheiro et al., 2011). While these studies provide evidence that maternal depression is associated with infant sleep, the directionality of this relationship is not clear. There is some evidence to support the idea that infant sleep is the causal variable in this relationship, such that poor infant sleep leads to an increase in depressive symptoms experienced by mothers (Bayer et al., 2010; Karraker et al., 2007). The current longitudinal investigation sought to clarify the directionality of this relation within the first 9 months of life (N = 425), using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) to measure maternal depression and PediaTrac™, an experimental web-based tool measuring infant and toddler development, to provide information regarding infant night wakings (Lajiness-O’Neill et al., 2018). When examining the relationship between maternal depression and infant night wakings, concurrent positive correlations were found at 2, 4, 6, and 9 months of age (r = .15-.21, p < .01). Mothers who experienced higher levels of depressive symptoms were likely to have infants with more frequent night wakings at the same time period. Unexpectedly, results did not indicate consistent longitudinal relationships between these two variables. Higher levels of depressive symptoms at one time period did not reliably predict more night wakings at later time periods or vice versa. In fact, any longitudinal predictive associations were best explained by the stability in maternal depression and infant night wakings. For example, with multiple regression, higher levels of 4 month maternal depressive symptoms predicted more infant night wakings at 6 months (p < .05). However, when 4 month infant night wakings were added to the model, the predictive value of 4 month maternal depression disappeared (p = .37), and 6 month infant night wakings were instead predicted by 4 month infant night wakings (p < .001). The lack of cross-lagged associations held when all variables were included in a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (Mulder & Hamaker, 2020). Though maternal depression and infant night wakings are concurrently associated, these results indicate that any apparent longitudinal associations are better explained by the stability in each construct rather than a transactional relation.

Authors

• Michelle Lobermeier, Eastern Michigan University
  Presenting Author

• Amanda Hicks, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Angela D Staples, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Renee Lajiness-O'Neill, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author