Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Parenting Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Infant Temperament at 6 Months Postpartum

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Social, Emotional, Personality

Abstract

Parent characteristics, including maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy, have been significantly associated with negative infant temperament, with depression linked to higher levels of negative emotionality while self-efficacy has been linked to lower levels of negative emotionality (Denis et al., 2012; Verhage et al., 2013). Few studies have examined the effect of these parent factors beyond “difficult” infant temperament to include their impact on infant orienting/regulation. Infants rely on their caregivers to respond appropriately to their cues and distress, which later promotes emotion regulation in childhood (Halligan et al., 2013). Maternal depression and low parenting self-efficacy may negatively impact a caregiver’s ability to provide effective parenting, and thus, impact the child’s regulatory functioning later in life. It is important to understand the unique contribution of maternal factors on infant negative emotionality and orienting/regulation, as they are both critical for the subsequent development of effortful control in toddlerhood (Gartstein et al., 2013). The present study examined the effect of maternal mood and parenting self-efficacy as potential predictors of infant negative emotionality and orienting/regulation at 6-months postpartum.

Data in the current study are from an ongoing longitudinal multi-site investigation focused on the development of a new self-report tool to track infant and toddler development. Participants included 525 mothers, aged 18–49 (M=30; SD=5.90), enrolled during pregnancy and followed longitudinally for 18 months. Mothers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Maternal Self-Report Inventory (MSRI) at 2-months postpartum. Infant temperament was assessed with the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) at 6-months postpartum. The sample included both full-term (≥ 37 weeks gestation; 58%) and preterm (< 37 weeks gestation; 42%) infants (male=268; female=257). Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted with maternal depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy as predictors and infant negative affectivity and orienting/regulation as outcome variables. Term status and maternal education were entered as covariates in blocks 1 and 2. The EPDS and MSRI were entered in block 3, and their interaction in block 4.

There were no significant mean-level differences in caregiver-reported infant outcomes or maternal factors between mothers of term versus preterm infants. Bivariate correlations and the regression statistics are presented in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. The first analysis revealed that mothers’ education and maternal depressive symptoms were significant predictors of infant negative affectivity, R^2=.08, F(4, 296)=6.48, p<.001. The second regression indicated that mothers’ education and parenting self-efficacy were significant predictors of infant orienting/regulation, R^2=.08, F(4, 296)=6.06, p<.001. The interaction between maternal depressive symptoms and self-efficacy was not significant for either infant temperament outcomes.

Beyond education, findings suggest potential risk pathways may be different for the effect of maternal factors on infant temperamental characteristics. Maternal perceptions of parenting appear to play an important role in the development of infant attention and regulatory function, whereas mothers’ mood predicts infant emotionality. It is important to note that temperament was based on maternal self-report; objective measures are also needed in future research. Overall, findings clarify how maternal factors might impact infant temperamental characteristics and the later development of effortful control in toddlerhood.

Authors

• Najae Bolden, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• Seth Warschausky, University of Michigan Health System
  Non-Presenting Author

• Alissa Christine Huth-Bocks, Wayne State University
  Non-Presenting Author

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