AUTHOR=Walker Annika L. , Peters Priya H. , de Rooij Susanne R. , Henrichs Jens , Witteveen Anke B. , Verhoeven Corine J. M. , Vrijkotte Tanja G. M. , de Jonge Ank 

TITLE=The Long-Term Impact of Maternal Anxiety and Depression Postpartum and in Early Childhood on Child and Paternal Mental Health at 11–12 Years Follow-Up

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.562237

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2020.562237

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Background: Postpartum maternal anxiety and depression can affect child development and family functioning. However, the long-term impact of postpartum maternal anxiety and depression on child and paternal mental health is understudied. The present large-scale prospective cohort study is one of the first to investigate whether maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms postpartum and at child age 5-6 years separately and synergistically increase paternal anxiety and depressive symptoms and child emotional problems in early adolescence at age 11-12 years. Secondly, we investigated whether concurrent paternal anxiety and depressive symptoms at child age 11-12 years moderated the association between maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms in the postpartum period and at child age 5-6 years with child emotional problems at age 11-12 years.
Methods: This study is part of the Amsterdam Born Children and Development (ABCD) cohort study, the Netherlands (N = 2.298). Maternal postpartum anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) at 13 weeks postpartum. Maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms at child age 5-6 years and parental anxiety and depressive symptoms at 11-12 years were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Child emotional problems were reported by the child and a teacher using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Multivariable linear regression was conducted, adjusted for demographic, perinatal/obstetric confounders and affective symptoms of the other family members at 11-12 years.
Results: Neither maternal anxiety nor depressive symptoms were related to paternal depressive symptoms at child age 11-12 years, while maternal postpartum depressive symptoms, depressive symptoms at 5-6 years and maternal anxiety at 5-6 years were positively related to paternal anxiety at 11-12 years. However, effect sizes were small. Only maternal postpartum depression was positively but weakly associated with more child emotional problems at 11-12 years. Although paternal concurrent affective symptoms were positively related to more child emotional problems in early adolescence, they did not moderate the association between maternal symptoms and child emotional problems.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that fathers and children seem to be affected only to a small extent by maternal postpartum anxiety or depression.