Approximately 10 to 15% of new mothers experience postpartum depression. Different studies have reported that the behavior of mothers with a postpartum depression towards their child is different...Show moreApproximately 10 to 15% of new mothers experience postpartum depression. Different studies have reported that the behavior of mothers with a postpartum depression towards their child is different from the behavior of mothers without depressive symptoms. The aberrant behavior of mothers with a postpartum depression can lead to negative outcomes for their child in the field of social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. The purpose of this study was to gain more information about the behavior of mothers with depressive symptoms towards their child. The ‘Still Face Procedure’ has been used to examine whether depressive symptoms of mothers in the postpartum period influence the amount of sensitive and intrusive behavior towards their child and positive interaction with their child during a neutral situation (‘Play episode’) and a more stressful situation (‘Reunion episode’). Furthermore, this study examined if mothers with depressive symptoms behaved differently during the ‘Play episode’ compared to the ‘Reunion episode’. Participants were 143 mothers from 17 to 25 years old recruited for a bigger research of Leiden University: ‘Een Goed Begin’. ‘Een Goed Begin’ examines parenting skills and child development using five separate measurements during the period from pregnancy until the child is two and a half years old. When the children were six months old, the ‘Still Face Procedure’ was carried out. The amount of depressive symptoms has been examined at the same time with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II-NL). Against expectations, mothers with depressive symptoms did not show less sensitivity, more intrusiveness or less positive interaction than mothers without depressive symptoms in both episodes. Mothers with depressive symptoms showed significantly more positive interaction during the ‘Play episode’ than during the ‘Reunion episode’, but for sensitivity and intrusiveness no significant differences were found. Probably more significant differences will be found with a clinical depressed group of participants.Show less
