MATERNAL DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND IMPACT ON PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AT THREE YEARS OF AGE
Date
2017-07-24
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0000-0001-9990-4007
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Doctoral
Abstract
Perinatal depression and anxiety are defined as depression or anxiety during pregnancy up to one year after birth. Along with the immediate health impacts and losses in productivity for the mother, perinatal depression and anxiety can have long-term detrimental effects on both the mother and child. Studying changes in measures of depression and anxiety through pregnancy, the postpartum period, and beyond can aid in identifying the most suitable time periods for implementation of screening and preventive programs. The primary goal of this study was to examine the course of depression and anxiety in women from early pregnancy to three years postpartum and to identify predictors of depression and anxiety scores across this period. The secondary goal was to examine the role of maternal mental health and high-risk behaviours, as well as other important socio-demographic factors, in physical, cognitive, personal-social, and emotional-behavioural development of three-year-old children.
Overall maternal depression and anxiety scores declined across the study time points. Pre-pregnancy maternal mental health was a significant predictor of both longitudinal depression and anxiety scores. Early postpartum stress and affective lability three years after birth were associated with higher longitudinal depression and anxiety scores in the study. Emotional support in all stages of pregnancy and after birth significantly and consistently lowered the average depression scores. Having a not very satisfactory relationship with the father of the child as compared to no relationship significantly increased the depression scores over the study time points. Lagged variable analysis suggested that previous depression scores were more important predictors of subsequent depression scores than previous anxiety scores. Furthermore, early pregnancy depression scores were significant predictors of both depression and anxiety scores.
Prenatal maternal mental health (depression, anxiety, stress) was not significantly associated with early childhood development in this study. However, several maternal mental health measures reported after pregnancy were associated with the physical, cognitive, personal-social, emotional, and behavioural development of children at three years of age. Maternal high-risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use), independently and in association with maternal family history of perinatal depression, were associated with early childhood development.
Description
Keywords
Child Behavioural Checklist, Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Maternal depression, Maternal anxiety, Item Factor Analysis, Ordinal regression, Partial Proportional odds regression
Citation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
School of Public Health
Program
Epidemiology