Abstract
This study examined the relationship of reported maternal depression to prior and current life stressors, and to mother perceptions of child adjustment, parenting behaviors, and child conduct problems. Forty-six depressed mothers and 49 nondepressed mothers and their clinic-referred children (aged 3–8 years) participated. Depressed mothers were more critical than nondrepessed mothers, but the behavior of children of depressed and nondepressed mothers showed no significant differences. Depressed mothers were more likely to have experienced child abuse, spouse abuse, or more negative life events than nondepressed mothers. Maternal reports of stress related to mother characteristics and to negative life events were the most potent variables discriminating depressed from nondepressed mother families.
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This research was supported by the NIH Institute of Nursing Grant No. 5 R01 NR01075-03. The author is grateful to a number of people who assisted in extensive work related to data collection and data management: Andrea Alpar, Ming Chen, Andra Fjone, Maxine Fookson, Don Goldstein, Lois Hancock, Doris Harkness, Terri Hollinsworth, Pat Huckell, Mary Kolpacoff, Pat Loschen, Leslie Lee, Kay Peters, Lill Wagner. Special appreciation goes to Bob McMahon for his review of an earlier draft of this paper. Finally, thanks to Barbara Hummel for her careful preparation of the manuscript.
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Webster-Stratton, C., Hammond, M. Maternal depression and its relationship to life stress, perceptions of child behavior problems, parenting behaviors, and child conduct problems. J Abnorm Child Psychol 16, 299–315 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00913802
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00913802