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Cited by 269Language Development and DisordersChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Early parental depression and child language development

Paulson, James F., Keefe, Heather A., Leiferman, Jenn A.·2009·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01973.x
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of early maternal and paternal depression on child expressive language at age 24 months and the role that parent-to-child reading may play in this pathway. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The 9-month and 24-month waves from a national prospective study of children and their families, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), provided data on 4,109 two-parent families. Depressive symptoms were measured with a short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Parents reported on positive parent-infant interactions, child expressive vocabulary, and demographic and health information at child age 9 and 24 months. Linear regression was used to estimate associations between depression, parenting, and child vocabulary. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that parent reading behavior mediates the parent depression to child vocabulary pathway. These models were adjusted for demographic indicators. RESULTS: As previously reported from this national sample, 14% of mothers and 10% of fathers exhibited elevated levels of depressive symptoms at 9 months. For both mothers and fathers, depression at 9 months was negatively associated with contemporaneous parent-to-child reading. Only for fathers, however, was earlier depression associated with later reading to child and related child expressive vocabulary development. A model describing this pathway demonstrated a significant indirect pathway from depression to vocabulary via parent reading to child. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is a significant problem among both mothers and fathers of young children, but has a more marked impact on the father's reading to his child and, subsequently, the child's language development.

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  • Depression at 9 months was negatively associated with contemporaneous parent-to-child reading.

    “Depression at 9 months was negatively associated with contemporaneous parent-to-child reading.”

    From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [116]

  • Depression was a significant problem that impacted reading to the child and, subsequently, the child's language development.

    “Depression was a significant problem that impacted reading to the child and, subsequently, the child’s language development.”

    From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [116]

  • Many studies indicated significant and negative associations between maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and infant cognitive development, language development, infant behaviors, overall infant health concerns, and quality of sleep.

    “Moreover, many studies indicated significant and negative associations between maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and infant cognitive development,94,95,99,101,102,107,141,147 language development,94,102,105,116,117,131,132,139 infant behaviors,49,52,110,114,120,121,131,133 overall infant health concerns,48,104,119,122–124,135,136,138 and quality of sleep.104,108”

    From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [116]

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Authors
Paulson, J. F., Keefe, H. A., & Leiferman, J. A.
Affiliations
  • Eastern Virginia Medical School (US)
  • University of Colorado Denver (US)
Corresponding author
Paulson, James F.
ORCID
Leiferman, Jenn A.
Venue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2009-03
Volume
50
Issue
3
Pages
254-262
ISSN
  • 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7610
DOI
10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01973.x
OpenAlex
W2051886918
Cited by
267
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 18
FWCI
21.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
parental depression, maternal depression, paternal depression, child language acquisition, expressive vocabulary, mediation, parent-infant interaction, early childhood
MeSH terms
Bibliotherapy, Child Language, Child, Preschool, Communication, Demography, Fathers, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Male, Mothers, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Surveys and Questionnaires, Reading, Severity of Illness Index, Depression, Postpartum

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