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Cited by 638Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumAttachment and Relationship DynamicsChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Effects of early maternal depression on patterns of infant–mother attachment: a meta-analytic investigation

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Martins, Carla, Gaffan, E. A.·2000·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI 10.1111/1469-7610.00661
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Abstract

We analysed results from seven American and British studies that compared groups of mothers with and without clinically diagnosed depression, and assessed the attachment category of their infants (under 3 years) using the Strange Situation. The samples were predominantly middle‐income and free of risk factors other than maternal depression. Meta‐analysis using loglinear modelling and standardised residuals showed that the effect of depression on the distribution of infants' attachment was statistically heterogeneous. However, after removing one outlier study, the effect of depression was homogeneous across the remaining six studies. Infants of depressed mothers showed significantly reduced likelihood of secure (B) attachment and marginally raised likelihood of avoidant (A) and disorganised (D) attachment. The first two effects varied considerably in magnitude between studies, whereas the increase in disorganised attachment, from 17% to 28% on average, was consistent.

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  • Maternal depression decreases the likelihood of secure attachment and increases the risk for avoidant and disorganized attachment.

    “Research suggests that maternal depression decreases the likelihood of secure attachment and increases the risk for avoidant and disorganized attachment (Martins & Gaffan, 2000;Teti et al. 1995).”

    From The effects of paternal depression on child and adolescent outcomes: A systematic review (2016) · cites this paper as Martins & Gaffan, 2000

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Authors
Martins, C., & Gaffan, E. A.
Affiliations
University of Reading (GB)
ORCID
Martins, Carla
Venue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2000-09
Volume
41
Issue
6
Pages
737-746
ISSN
  • 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7610
DOI
10.1111/1469-7610.00661
OpenAlex
W1987110394
Cited by
638
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 69 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 48 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 33
FWCI
4.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 1137 d)
Locations
  • Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
maternal depression, infant attachment, attachment security, attachment avoidance, disorganized attachment, Strange Situation, effect size heterogeneity
MeSH terms
Depression, Female, Humans, Infant, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Object Attachment

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