Abstract
Parenting is a major determinant of child behavioral and
health outcomes, and thus it is critical to examine what factors
impede or aid parenting in high-risk populations. The present study
examined the impact of social support on the parenting behaviors of
depressed mothers. Independent associations between these
constructs have been demonstrated in previous studies; however, the
mechanism through which social support impacts parenting in
depressed mothers is still unclear. A sample of 131 mothers (97
with a history of depressive disorders) participated in this study
with their preschool aged children. Social support was measured
using the total Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
(MSPSS) as well as the Significant Other, Friend, and Family
subscales. Maternal depression was operationalized in two ways:
current depressive symptoms, using Beck's Depression Inventory
(BDI) and total duration of mental illness during the child's
lifetime, measured in months using the Structured Clinical
Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). Parenting behaviors, obtained from
videos of parent-child interactions, fell under three categories:
Negative Engagement, Positive Engagement and Positive
Reinforcement. Results were obtained by conducting simple and
multiple linear regressions. Duration of mental illness
significantly predicted frequency of Negative Engagement behaviors.
Current and total duration of maternal depression also
significantly predicted perception of social support. Contrary to
predictions, social support was not associated with parenting
behaviors nor did it moderate the maternal depression-parenting
relationship. Implications and future directions are
discussed.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction.......1
Parenting and Psychopathology....1
Social Support....2
Social Support and Psychopathology...4
Social Support and Parenting...6
Social Support, Parenting and Psychopathology...7
Hypotheses...9
Method....10
Participants..10
Procedure...11
Measures...12
Results...16
Discussion..18
Clinical Implications...21
Strengths and Limitations.....22
Future directions...23
References....25
Tables....29
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