Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Infant Sleep and Maternal Sleep and Mental Health
Changes in maternal sleep and circadian rhythms during pregnancy are associated with infant sleep problems and maternal depression and anxiety.
What You May Have Missed Last Week – December 12, 2021
Stress and worse pregnancy outcomes, interventions to reduce risk, parenting adolescents, dealing with social media.
What You May Have Missed Last Week – December 4, 2021
Another COVID variant, COVID parenting, the psychological impact of pregnancy loss.
A Novel Collaborative Group Intervention for Mothers with Perinatal Mental Illness and Their Infants
“Together in Mind” is a group intervention for mothers diagnosed with moderate to severe mental illness and their infants.
In Unsettling Times: How to Talk to Your Children About Traumatic Events
Earlier this week, a deadly explosion erupted at an arena in Manchester, England, where the American pop singer Ariana Grande was performing. One of the most horrifying aspects of the Manchester bombing is that this [...]
Weekly Roundup for JANUARY 20, 2017: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Happy New Year! We are not even three weeks into January, and it promises to be a busy year. At the top of the list is the study from Cantarutti and colleagues which observed that [...]
Postpartum Depression and Positive Parenting Practices
How does postpartum depression affect a mother’s ability to care for and parent her child? Various studies have demonstrated that depressed mothers may be less attuned to their children’s needs, either being less responsive to the baby or, in some cases, too intrusive. Researchers have speculated that this mismatch between mother and baby may contribute to problems with infant bonding, delays in development and emotional dysregulation.
Positive Parenting Can Reduce Risk for Postpartum Depression
A recent study investigated the effectiveness of two pediatric primary care interventions for reducing the risk for postpartum depressive symptoms. The researchers tested two interventions designed to promote parental responsiveness: Video Interaction Project (VIP) is [...]
Childhood Abuse: A Risk Factor for Bonding and Parenting Difficulties
Multiple studies have demonstrated that childhood maltreatment is associated with subsequent difficulties. Researchers from the University of Michigan assessed parenting behaviors in women with a history of childhood abuse and neglect (n?=?97) and a healthy control comparison group (n?=?53). Participants were assessed at 6 weeks, 4 months, and 6 months postpartum. At 6 months, a home visit was conducted and mothers and infants participated in a dyadic play interaction later coded for positive parenting behaviors by blinded raters.