Reductions in stress and depressive symptoms in mothers of substance-exposed infants, participating in a psychosocial program

• Published in: Maternal and child health journal Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 127 - 136
• Main Authors: Kern, Janet K, West, Emily Y, Grannemann, Bruce D, Greer, Tracy L, Snell, Laura M, Cline, Lori L, VanBeveren, Toosje T, Heartwell, Stephen F, Kleiber, Beverly A, Trivedi, Madhukar H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Nature B.V 01.09.2004
• Subjects: Adult; Children & youth; Childrens health; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - prevention & control; Drug abuse; Families & family life; Female; Health Education; Humans; Illnesses; Infant; Intervention; Maternal & child health; Mental depression; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Parent-Child Relations; Parenting; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Program Development; Psychology; Psychosocial development; Psychotherapy; Social Support; Stress; Stress, Psychological - diagnosis; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - prevention & control; Surveys and Questionnaires; Women; United States > US; Texas
• ISSN: 1092-7875; 1573-6628
• DOI: 10.1023/B:MACI.0000037646.01017.b9

Depression profoundly impairs psychosocial functioning. Depression can have disruptive effects on a person's family, with significant impact on the psychosocial development of the children. Recent research suggests that a mother's depressive symptoms may increase parenting stress and that parenting stress may, in turn, increase depressive symptoms, with a possible negative cycle to this process. Little is known about how these two factors interact in drug-involved mothers. This study examines how the NEW CONNECTIONS intervention (a parental education and support program for drug-involved parents) acts on parental stress and symptoms of depression. The study site was the NEW CONNECTIONS Infant Intervention Program. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) were administered to drug- and alcohol-involved mothers (N = 120) at baseline and after the intervention (Week 12). Four of the seven PSI domains of parenting stress showed a significant reduction (Demandingness, Competence, Isolation, and Role Restriction). Changes in four domains were significantly correlated with reductions in depressive symptoms (Competence, Isolation, Attachment, and Role Restriction). There was a significant reduction in depressive symptoms as measured by the BDI-II. Reduction in some aspects of parenting stress is associated with reduction in depressive symptoms in mothers of substance-exposed infants who participated in the NEW CONNECTIONS psychosocial intervention targeting the parent-child relationship.