The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource setting
Objectives: Children of depressed mothers are at risk of developing mental health problems. We sought to determine whether treatment for maternal depression by community-based health workers would decrease behavioral/emotional symptoms in their children. Interventions for maternal depressive sympto...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462022000600590&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1811195420111536128 |
|---|---|
| author | Elis Viviane Hoffmann Cristiane S. Duarte Camila T. Matsuzaka Ana Carolina Coelho Milani Victor Fossaluza Andrea F. Mello Marcelo F. Mello |
| author_facet | Elis Viviane Hoffmann Cristiane S. Duarte Camila T. Matsuzaka Ana Carolina Coelho Milani Victor Fossaluza Andrea F. Mello Marcelo F. Mello |
| author_sort | Elis Viviane Hoffmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Children of depressed mothers are at risk of developing mental health problems. We sought to determine whether treatment for maternal depression by community-based health workers would decrease behavioral/emotional symptoms in their children. Interventions for maternal depressive symptoms in a low/middle-income country can have a high global impact. Methods: Community-based health workers were trained to deliver a psychosocial intervention for mothers with depression in a primary care setting. A total of 49 mothers and 60 children were assessed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 6 months follow-up. Child behavioral/emotional symptoms were evaluated according to type of change in maternal depressive symptoms: response or remission. Results: An overall decrease in maternal depressive symptoms from baseline to post-intervention and 6 months follow-up were found. Response or remission was associated with better outcomes in child behavioral/emotional symptoms at 6 months follow-up (p = 0.0247, Cohen’s d: 0.76; p = 0.0224, Cohen’s f: 0.44) but not at post-intervention (p = 0.1636, Cohen’s d: 0.48; p = 0.0720, Cohen’s f: 0.33). Conclusions: Improvement in maternal depression was related to decreased behavioral/emotional symptoms in their children. Our results suggest that providing interventions for maternal depression in primary care is a viable strategy to prevent behavioral/emotional symptoms in the next generation. Clinical Trial registration: Brazilian Clinical Trials, number RBR-5qhmb5. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:41:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95061f4c9b7f46c5b6774d967f0c132c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1809-452X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:41:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-95061f4c9b7f46c5b6774d967f0c132c2022-12-22T03:54:58ZengAssociação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry1809-452X2022-12-0144659060110.47626/1516-4446-2022-2498The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource settingElis Viviane Hoffmannhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9064-3656Cristiane S. DuarteCamila T. Matsuzakahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2932-6659Ana Carolina Coelho Milanihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9190-654XVictor Fossaluzahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9328-0210Andrea F. Mellohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8498-7751Marcelo F. Mellohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0475-4729 Objectives: Children of depressed mothers are at risk of developing mental health problems. We sought to determine whether treatment for maternal depression by community-based health workers would decrease behavioral/emotional symptoms in their children. Interventions for maternal depressive symptoms in a low/middle-income country can have a high global impact. Methods: Community-based health workers were trained to deliver a psychosocial intervention for mothers with depression in a primary care setting. A total of 49 mothers and 60 children were assessed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 6 months follow-up. Child behavioral/emotional symptoms were evaluated according to type of change in maternal depressive symptoms: response or remission. Results: An overall decrease in maternal depressive symptoms from baseline to post-intervention and 6 months follow-up were found. Response or remission was associated with better outcomes in child behavioral/emotional symptoms at 6 months follow-up (p = 0.0247, Cohen’s d: 0.76; p = 0.0224, Cohen’s f: 0.44) but not at post-intervention (p = 0.1636, Cohen’s d: 0.48; p = 0.0720, Cohen’s f: 0.33). Conclusions: Improvement in maternal depression was related to decreased behavioral/emotional symptoms in their children. Our results suggest that providing interventions for maternal depression in primary care is a viable strategy to prevent behavioral/emotional symptoms in the next generation. Clinical Trial registration: Brazilian Clinical Trials, number RBR-5qhmb5.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462022000600590&tlng=enDepressive disordermotherchildmental healthdeveloping countries |
| spellingShingle | Elis Viviane Hoffmann Cristiane S. Duarte Camila T. Matsuzaka Ana Carolina Coelho Milani Victor Fossaluza Andrea F. Mello Marcelo F. Mello The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource setting Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry Depressive disorder mother child mental health developing countries |
| title | The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource setting |
| title_full | The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource setting |
| title_fullStr | The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource setting |
| title_full_unstemmed | The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource setting |
| title_short | The positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low-resource setting |
| title_sort | positive impact of an intervention for maternal depression on child emotional and behavioral symptoms in a low resource setting |
| topic | Depressive disorder mother child mental health developing countries |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462022000600590&tlng=en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elisvivianehoffmann thepositiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT cristianesduarte thepositiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT camilatmatsuzaka thepositiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT anacarolinacoelhomilani thepositiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT victorfossaluza thepositiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT andreafmello thepositiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT marcelofmello thepositiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT elisvivianehoffmann positiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT cristianesduarte positiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT camilatmatsuzaka positiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT anacarolinacoelhomilani positiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT victorfossaluza positiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT andreafmello positiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting AT marcelofmello positiveimpactofaninterventionformaternaldepressiononchildemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsinalowresourcesetting |