Eva Asselmann1, John Venz2, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen3, Julia Martini4. 1. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: eva.asselmann@hu-berlin.de. 2. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 3. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany. 4. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Few studies prospectively examined the role of maternal anxiety and depressive disorders for early infant psychosocial stress responsivity. AIMS: To investigate the role of lifetime maternal anxiety and depressive disorders for various early infant interaction behaviors during the Face-to-Face Still Face Paradigm (FFSFP) at 4 months postpartum. STUDY DESIGN/ SUBJECTS: Prospective-longitudinal study among n = 251 mothers (and their infants) from early pregnancy until 4 months postpartum. PREDICTOR: Cumulated lifetime diagnoses of maternal anxiety and depressive disorders, repeatedly assessed with the CIDI-V from early pregnancy until 4 months postpartum. OUTCOME MEASURES: Infant positive and negative facial expressions and vocalizations, distancing behavior, self- and object-touch, observed during the FFSFP at 4 months postpartum. RESULTS: As indicated by fractional logit models, higher proportions of object-touch were seen among infants of mothers with anxiety only (still face: 7.8%) and comorbid anxiety and depression (still face: 7.9%; reunion: 2.9%) vs. no anxiety and no depression. Higher proportion changes in object-touch were found among infants of mothers with anxiety only (play to still face: 6.4%) and comorbid anxiety and depression (play to still face: 7.2%; play to reunion: 2.7%) vs. no anxiety and no depression. Higher proportion changes in distancing behavior were seen among infants of mothers with comorbid anxiety and depression (still face to reunion: 1.1%; play to reunion: 1.3%) vs. no anxiety and no depression. CONCLUSIONS: Particularly mothers with anxiety only and comorbid anxiety and depression and their infants might profit from targeted early interventions to foster favorable interaction behaviors in early infancy and thereafter.
BACKGROUND: Few studies prospectively examined the role of maternal anxiety and depressive disorders for early infantpsychosocial stress responsivity. AIMS: To investigate the role of lifetime maternal anxiety and depressive disorders for various early infant interaction behaviors during the Face-to-Face Still Face Paradigm (FFSFP) at 4 months postpartum. STUDY DESIGN/ SUBJECTS: Prospective-longitudinal study among n = 251 mothers (and their infants) from early pregnancy until 4 months postpartum. PREDICTOR: Cumulated lifetime diagnoses of maternal anxiety and depressive disorders, repeatedly assessed with the CIDI-V from early pregnancy until 4 months postpartum. OUTCOME MEASURES: Infant positive and negative facial expressions and vocalizations, distancing behavior, self- and object-touch, observed during the FFSFP at 4 months postpartum. RESULTS: As indicated by fractional logit models, higher proportions of object-touch were seen among infants of mothers with anxiety only (still face: 7.8%) and comorbid anxiety and depression (still face: 7.9%; reunion: 2.9%) vs. no anxiety and no depression. Higher proportion changes in object-touch were found among infants of mothers with anxiety only (play to still face: 6.4%) and comorbid anxiety and depression (play to still face: 7.2%; play to reunion: 2.7%) vs. no anxiety and no depression. Higher proportion changes in distancing behavior were seen among infants of mothers with comorbid anxiety and depression (still face to reunion: 1.1%; play to reunion: 1.3%) vs. no anxiety and no depression. CONCLUSIONS: Particularly mothers with anxiety only and comorbid anxiety and depression and their infants might profit from targeted early interventions to foster favorable interaction behaviors in early infancy and thereafter.
Authors: Susanne Knappe; Johanna Petzoldt; Susan Garthus-Niegel; Julia Wittich; Hans-Christian Puls; Isabell Huttarsch; Julia Martini Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2021-04-20 Impact factor: 4.157