Depressão materna e riscos para o comportamento e a saúde mental das crianças: uma revisão

Behavioral problems and their relationship to maternal depression, marital relationships, social skills and parenting

Behavioral problems have been associated with multiple variables; however, studies simultaneously investigating parenting practices, marital relationships in bi-parental families, maternal depression, and child behavior remain a gap in the literature. The objective was to verify associations between positive and negative parenting practices, marital relationships, social skills, and behavioral problems among children from bi-parental families with and those without maternal depression; to identify the predictive effect of positive and negative parenting practices, marital relationships, children’s social skills, and maternal depression, for internalizing, externalizing behavior problems and internalizing and externalizing comorbidities. A case-control study with a cross-sectional design was adopted to ensure the groups were homogeneous in regard to the children’s, mothers’, and families’ sociodemographic characteristics. A total of 35 mothers currently with depression and 35 without depression indicators participated in the study, while the children were 25 preschoolers and 23 school-aged children. The mothers responded to instruments addressing depression, child behavior, parenting practices, and marital relationships. The results reveal maternal depression associated with marital relationships, positive parenting, and context variables. Maternal depression and marital relationship were found to influence externalizing problems; maternal depression, child-rearing practices, marital relationships, and the children’s behavioral repertoires influence internalizing and externalizing comorbidities; and none of the independent variables influenced the occurrence of internalizing problems.

Práticas Parentais: Conjugalidade, Depressão Materna, Comportamento das Crianças e Variáveis Demográficas

Resumo As interfaces das práticas educativas maternas e problemas de comportamento são reconhecidas, contudo, carecem de estudos que abordem variáveis contextuais e pessoais específicas que podem interferir no uso de práticas positivas e negativas. Objetiva-se comparar as práticas parentais relatadas pelas mães de crianças pré-escolares e escolares considerando variáveis: demográficas, práticas educativas, relacionamento conjugal, depressão materna, problemas de comportamento e habilidades sociais. Foram participantes 151 mães biológicas e suas crianças. Estas informaram sobre práticas parentais, comportamentos dos filhos, depressão materna e variáveis demográficas. Com significância estatística identificou-se que: as habilidades sociais infantis, problemas de comportamento, relacionamento conjugal, escolaridade e renda familiar diferenciaram os grupos no que refere ao uso de práticas educativas; práticas positivas foram associadas às habilidades sociais infantis, e as negativas, aos problemas de comportamento; o uso das práticas positivas foi influenciado, para os escolares, pela depressão, renda familiar e escolaridade materna e, para os pré-escolares, pela escolaridade materna.

Maternal depression: Associations between behavioral problems in school-aged children, organization patterns, adversities, and family environment resources

Abstract The objective of this study was to verify possible associations between family organization patterns, adversities, family environment resources, and behavioral problems “in children of mothers with recurrent depression” (Group 1) compared with “children of mothers without psychiatric disorders” (Group 2). A total of 100 mother-child dyads were divided into two equal groups and were evaluated individually using the following instruments: General questionnaire; Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Escala de Eventos Adversos; Escala de Adversidade Crônica; Inventário de Recursos do Ambiente Familiar; Raven, and an interview about family patterns. When compared to Group 2, Group 1 showed significantly more behavioral problems, adverse events, and chronic adversities and fewer family resources and family organization patterns. Negative and moderate associations were observed between behavioral problems and positive family organization patterns, evidencing the importance of mental health actions aimed at improving these patterns.

Behavioral problems of school children: impact of social vulnerability, chronic adversity, and maternal depression

This study’s objective was to identify the predictive effect of indicators concerning social vulnerability, chronic adversity, and maternal depression on behavioral problems among school-aged children, according to the perceptions of mothers and teachers, considering the presence or absence of difficulties in the contexts of family and school. A total of 85 pairs of mothers and school children were distributed into three groups according to the behavioral problems identified. A General Questionnaire, the PHQ-9, the Chronic Adversity Scale, and the (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) SDQ were applied to the mothers; the Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices were applied to the children; and the SDQ was applied to the teachers. Data were analyzed with descriptive, predictive, and comparative statistical procedures (p ≤ 0.05). The results reveal the presence of cumulative risks for children with behavioral problems; mothers more frequently identified behavioral problems than teachers; and maternal depression was a predictor for behavioral problems. Such findings are relevant for devising mental health programs.