Evaluation of a Parenting Intervention for Mothers with a History of Depression and their Children Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Children of mothers with a history of depression are at heightened risk for developing depression later in life, as well as other maladaptive outcomes. Deficits in parenting are one posited mechanism underlying this transmission of risk from mother to child. Research also suggests that depression in mothers is associated with children’s low positive affect and the children’s later development of depression. The current study evaluated whether a micro-intervention with mothers with a history of depression would enhance their engagement in positive parenting and increase observed positive affect in their 8- to 10-year-old children. The sample included mothers with a history of depression (N = 65), who were randomly assigned to either a positive parenting intervention or an attention control condition; mothers with no history of depression (N = 66) served as a pre-intervention comparison group. Results revealed significant short-term increases in specific positive parenting behaviors in mothers in the intervention compared to those in the control condition. Moreover, children of mothers in the parenting intervention showed significant increases in positive affect compared to children of mother in the control intervention. Further, certain positive parenting behaviors predicted children’s concurrent positive affect, with clearest evidence for mothers’ active listening and smiling/laughing. We found no significant change in contingency of children’s positive affect on mother’s positive parenting as a function of the intervention. The study provided evidence of the utility of a brief intervention for enhancing interactions between mothers with a history of depression and their children by targeting two putative mechanisms in the transmission of risk for depression: mothers’ positive parenting and children’s positive affect. 

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………..………………….… …………….…1

Method………………………………………………………………. …………..….…......17

Results……………………………………………………………………….………..….…29

Discussion………………………………………………………………………....…....…..42

Tables and Figures….………..………… ………………………………........……….……47

References…………………………………………………………....………………….….47

Appendices…………………………………………………………....………………….…57

Appendix A: Tables……………………………………….……………………......57

Appendix B: Figures……………………………………….…………….................75

Appendix C: Supporting Documents …………………...………….……………....82

About this Dissertation

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Psychology
Subfield / Discipline	Clinical Psychology
Degree	Ph.D.
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Clinical
Keyword	depression in mothers positive parenting
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Sherryl Goodman, Emory University
Committee Members	Phil Wolff, Emory University Marshall Duke, Emory University Robyn Fivush, Emory University Jack McDowell, Emory University

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