TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal depressed mood and child development over the first five years of life in South Africa
AU - Gordon, Sarah
AU - Rotheram-Fuller, Erin
AU - Rezvan, Panteha
AU - Stewart, Jackie
AU - Christodoulou, Joan
AU - Tomlinson, Mark
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - Background: While the negative impact of peri-natal depression is well-documented in high-income countries, the long-term effects across the life course in low and middle-income countries is less clear. Children's adjustment over the first five years is examined as a function of patterns of maternal depressed mood. Methods: Pregnant women in 24 peri-urban townships (N = 1,238) were randomized to a home-visiting intervention or standard care and reassessed five times, with high retention. There were no intervention effects on children past 18 months. Multilevel regression models examined the impact of depressed mood on child outcomes. Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, four patterns of maternal depressed mood were identified: never (40.6%); antenatal (13.0%); early childhood (26.1%); and recurrent episodes of depressed mood (20.3 %). Findings: Mothers' patterns of depressive symptoms and child outcomes were similar, regardless of intervention. Never depressed mothers were significantly younger, had higher income, less food insecurity, were more likely to have electricity, be living with HIV or have an HIV positive partner, and had fewer problems with alcohol than depressed mothers. Children of mothers who experienced depressed mood weighed less, were more aggressive, and were hospitalized more often than children of never depressed mothers, but were similar in cognitive and social development. Interpretations: Depressed mood, has significant negative impacts on South African children's growth and aggressive behavior. The timing of maternal depressed mood was less important than never having a depressed mood or a recurrent depressed mood. Funding: There were no funding conflicts in executing this trial.
AB - Background: While the negative impact of peri-natal depression is well-documented in high-income countries, the long-term effects across the life course in low and middle-income countries is less clear. Children's adjustment over the first five years is examined as a function of patterns of maternal depressed mood. Methods: Pregnant women in 24 peri-urban townships (N = 1,238) were randomized to a home-visiting intervention or standard care and reassessed five times, with high retention. There were no intervention effects on children past 18 months. Multilevel regression models examined the impact of depressed mood on child outcomes. Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, four patterns of maternal depressed mood were identified: never (40.6%); antenatal (13.0%); early childhood (26.1%); and recurrent episodes of depressed mood (20.3 %). Findings: Mothers' patterns of depressive symptoms and child outcomes were similar, regardless of intervention. Never depressed mothers were significantly younger, had higher income, less food insecurity, were more likely to have electricity, be living with HIV or have an HIV positive partner, and had fewer problems with alcohol than depressed mothers. Children of mothers who experienced depressed mood weighed less, were more aggressive, and were hospitalized more often than children of never depressed mothers, but were similar in cognitive and social development. Interpretations: Depressed mood, has significant negative impacts on South African children's growth and aggressive behavior. The timing of maternal depressed mood was less important than never having a depressed mood or a recurrent depressed mood. Funding: There were no funding conflicts in executing this trial.
KW - child development
KW - maternal depressed mood
KW - maternal mental health
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.027
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.027
M3 - Article
C2 - 34315096
AN - SCOPUS:85111005737
SN - 0165-0327
VL - 294
SP - 346
EP - 356
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
ER -