Influence of Maternal Depression on Attributions, Parenting, and Adolescent Mental Health

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Background:
Adolescents of depressed mothers have a higher risk of experiencing mental health symptoms (Essau, 2004). One plausible explanation includes exposure to negative maternal cognitions and behaviors, such as negative attributions and negative parenting behaviors; these behaviors and cognitions are associated with depressive symptoms (Goodman & Gotlib, 1999; Lovejoy, Graczyk, O'Hare, & Neuman, 2000; Chen, Johnston, Sheeber, & Leve, 2009).
Negative parenting behaviors and deficits in positive parenting behaviors are associated with mental health symptoms in adolescents, although underlying mechanisms are unclear (Elgar et al., 2007). Parental attributions influence parenting behaviors, and maternal attributions may partially mediate the transmission of maternal depression to adolescent daughters (Leung & Slep, 2006; Chen et al., 2009).
Our model proposes that maternal negative attributions for offspring’s behaviors mediates the association between maternal depression, negative parenting, and adolescent mental health.

Hypotheses:
We hypothesized 1) depressed mothers would make different attributions for adolescent behavior, 2) these negative maternal attributions would mediate the association between maternal depression and a) negative parenting behavior, and b) internalizing and externalizing adolescent symptoms.

Methods:
180 low-income women and their adolescents, ages 11-14, were divided into a Depressed Group or Non-Depressed Group. Mother-adolescent dyads completed surveys on adolescent psychopathology, maternal acceptance, and completed video-recorded interactions together (Event-Planning Interaction/EPI, Problem-Solving Interaction/PSI). Mothers then watched 5-min segments of their video-taped interactions, and were periodically prompted to answer 1) what is your child doing? 2) why is he/she doing that? Raters coded mothers’ attributions as positive, negative, neutral, or none. Independent observers also coded parenting behaviors (aggressive, positive, dysphoria) during the interactions.

Results/Discussion:
A zero-inflated poisson regression indicated the odds of displaying negative attributions were significantly higher among mothers with depression than mothers without depression, p< .01. The proportion of positive attributions for adolescent behavior did not differ between mothers as indicated by a one-way ANOVA, p = 0.18.
Mediation analyses partially supported our model. Bias-corrected CIs indicated that negative maternal attributions partially mediated the associations between maternal depression and the following parenting behaviors: self-reported maternal acceptance, CI[-2.33, -0.19], and aggressive and positive behavior during the PSI, CI[0.045, 0.24; -.60, -0.19]. Negative maternal attributions mediated associations between maternal depression and these parenting behaviors: adolescent-reported maternal acceptance, CI[-4.39, -0.34], and aggression during the EPI, CI[0.017, 0.23]. Maternal attributions partially mediated the relationship between maternal depression status and mother-reported adolescent externalizing symptoms, which was moderated by adolescent sex; partial mediation was only significant within male adolescents, CI[0.56, 3.12]. Overall, mothers with depressive symptoms made negative attributions more than non-depressed mothers. These attributions may directly impact 1) how acceptingly, positively, and aggressively mothers behave towards their adolescents, and 2) adolescent externalizing behaviors. Context of the interaction can also influence the effects of maternal depression and negative attributions on parenting behaviors. Future research should use longitudinal data, analyze parenting as a mediator between maternal depression and adolescent outcome, as well as investigate how targeting maternal attributions improves clinical outcomes among mothers and adolescents.

Authors

• Kavya Mudiam, University of Oregon
  Presenting Author

• Lisa Sheeber, Oregon Research Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Craig Leve, Oregon Research Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer H. Pfeifer, University of Oregon
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nicholas Allen, University of Oregon
  Non-Presenting Author