ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: No previous longitudinal study has examined the impact of comorbid maternal personality disorder (PD) and depression on child development. We set out to examine whether maternal PD and depression assessed at 2 months post partum would be independently associated with adverse developmental outcomes at 18 months of age. METHOD: Women were recruited into the study shortly after delivery and screened for depression and PD. Those meeting criteria for depression, PD, or both conditions, were selected for assessment at 2 months post partum, together with a comparison group with neither condition (total sample, N = 200). Assessments of cognitive, social and emotional development were conducted with their children at 18 months of age. RESULTS: Maternal postpartum depression and PD were both associated with higher levels of dysregulated infant behavior. There was a significant interaction between depression and PD in the model of dysregulated behavior and the detrimental effects of maternal depression and PD were evident only among mothers with both conditions. Maternal depression was independently associated with impaired infant cognitive scores and higher levels of internalizing behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies of the effects of maternal depression should also take into account the effects of comorbid maternal PD. Health professionals need to be aware of the possible co-occurrence of PD among mothers presenting with postnatal depression and that mothers with these co-occurring disorders are likely to require greater support.
Subject(s)
Child Development/physiology , Depression, Postpartum/psychology , Infant Behavior/psychology , Personality Disorders/psychology , Adult , Cognition/physiology , Comorbidity , Depression, Postpartum/diagnosis , Depression, Postpartum/epidemiology , Emotions/physiology , Female , Humans , Infant , Longitudinal Studies , Mother-Child Relations , Mothers , Neuropsychological Tests , Personality Disorders/diagnosis , Personality Disorders/epidemiology , Postpartum Period/psychology , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Social BehaviorABSTRACT
This study examined the association between smoking practices and maternal personality disorder in a sample of 200 mothers of 2-month-old babies. Maternal personality disorder was robustly associated with allowing smoking in the home and also exposing the baby to tobacco smoke. The findings suggest that mothers with personality disorders might particularly benefit from targeting with education and advice about reducing their baby's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the postpartum period.
Subject(s)
Personality Disorders/psychology , Smoking/psychology , Sudden Infant Death , Tobacco Smoke Pollution/adverse effects , Adult , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Infant , Mother-Child Relations , Parity , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Socioeconomic Factors , Sudden Infant Death/etiology , Sudden Infant Death/prevention & controlABSTRACT
AIM: Previous studies have reported detrimental effects of maternal depression on infant care but have not taken into account the potential confounding effects of co-morbid personality disorder. We aimed to examine the independent effects of maternal depression and personality disorder on infant care. METHOD: Assessments with 200 mothers who had a diagnosis of depression, personality disorder, both conditions, or neither condition, when their infants were aged 2 months, included structured clinical interviews, an interview about infant care practices, and standardised measures of quality of the home environment, maternal involvement with the baby, maternal sensitivity and infant irritability. RESULTS: The presence of depression and personality disorder had significant independent detrimental effects on infant care practices and maternal involvement with the baby, while depression alone had a negative effect on quality of the home environment. CONCLUSION: Women with depression are less likely to use recommended infant care practices only when they also meet criteria for co-morbid personality disorder. Professionals working with women and babies need to consider the particular difficulties that mothers with both personality disorder and depression may have in providing satisfactory infant care.
