Parents' well-being and mental health impacts children a lot.
Dr. Sarah Dow-Fleisner's research highlights the crucial role of external support in helping moms with depression raise healthy kids.
Let's find out more.
The huge impact of mom's depression
The research underscores that mothers with depression are at higher risk for impacting their child's well-being.
However, the presence of interpersonal support and community resources can mitigate these effects.
The research focused on depression occurring later in childhood rather than just the postpartum period.
Depressed mothers reported higher parenting stress, less perceived competence, and increased use of disciplinary tactics.
While they were less involved in school activities, their engagement in home activities remained similar to non-depressed parents.
Notably, depressed mothers with higher support and also community cohesion experienced reduced stress and engaged in more positive parenting practices.
Why it's helpful
The findings support a resilience perspective, emphasizing that mothers can thrive as parents when various protective factors are present.
Dr. Dow-Fleisner suggests a two-generation approach to help both maternal depression and child well-being through primary care screenings and community-based parenting support programs.
