The Impact of Maternal Depression on Children

The battle of nature vs. nurture is an ongoing controversy that is far from over. There are scientists who lean widely in both directions and those who idly straddle the fence. However, most people are certain that any extreme behavior or experiences in childhood serves to shape those children into who they become later in life. Now, often times, how drastically they are changed by such experiences is due, at east partially, to genetic and biological predispositions. Nevertheless, those predispositions do not serve to eliminate the influence of their environmental circumstances. Which brings us to maternal depression and how this prevalent disorder affects the children of depressed mothers.

One must be careful when considering maternal depression because a wide range of symptoms and severity are experienced by people who suffer from depression. In addition, some women suffer from depression only during child birth, others after child birth, and, still more, before and after child birth. Each scenario can play a part in how the child is affected. Some scientists argue that future consequences of maternal depression on children manifest during the period of attachment. At this point a mother's interaction with their infant leads to a specific attachment style. For instance, avoidant attachment style is characterized by avoiding a parent or caregiver, or indifferent behaviors toward their caregivers. Other attachment styles include ambivalent and secure attachment. A study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, reported findings that avoidant attachment style appeared in children who's mothers were depressed before birth, and anxious attachment style was found in children who's mothers were depressed after birth, (Bifulco et al, 2004).

Attachment style is important to consider because many researchers have found statistically significant evidence that attachment style impacts people in adulthood. One area that can potentially be affected is future criminal activity. A study, published in The Journal of Interpersonal Violence, described the childhood attachment styles of several men incarcerated for a variety of offenses, (Smallbone & Dadds, 1998). Their findings revealed that the sex-offender groups reported significantly less secure maternal and paternal attachments than did non-offenders or offenders of property crimes. Intrafamilial child molesters had specific challenges with their mothers, reporting a combination of avoidant and anxious attachment patterns. These findings serve only to highlight how negatively attachment styles can impact children as they progress into adulthood.

Maternal Depression has also been found to influence child behavior and emotional problems during adolescence. Children of depressed mothers are at an increased risk of developing child conduct disorder, characterized by aggression to people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness, and serious violation of rules, (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry).

Although depression is an overwhelming disease, treatment can help to alleviate the symptoms. In addition, treatment heavily impacts the children of depressed women. A study, reported in The Journal of The American Medical Association, researched how treatment of maternal depression impacted the psychopathology of the mother's children, (Weissman et al, 2006). They found that after 3 months of medical treatment for the mother's depression, the children showed a significant reduction in diagnoses and symptoms of disorders.

Treatment for depression comes in a multitude of forms. People can seek psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, electroconvulsive therapy, and light therapy, or a combination of these.

• Loss of interest in things that you used to enjoy.
• Feeling sad, blue, or down.
• Feeling slowed down or restless and unable to sit still.
• Feeling worthless or guilty.
• Changes in appetite including weight loss or weight gain.
• Thoughts of death or suicide.
• Problems concentrating, thinking, remembering, or making decisions.
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
• Loss of energy or feeling tired all of the time.
• Headaches.
• Digestive problems.
• Sexual problems.
• Feelings of hopelessness.
• Being anxious or worried.

(Symptoms according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)