This study examined characteristics of parent-infant (aged 12 to 15 months old) interactions depending on depression of parents. Subjects included 30 infants and 60 parents. They received developmental assessment in the obstetrics and gynecology depar...
This study examined characteristics of parent-infant (aged 12 to 15 months old) interactions depending on depression of parents. Subjects included 30 infants and 60 parents. They received developmental assessment in the obstetrics and gynecology departments of four general hospitals in Seoul. The parents were grouped depending on the findings of the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). Scores of seven or above were classified as higher depression and the parents were divided into three groups of ten pairs each: Group 1 – both parents are depressed; Group 2 – mother is depressed and father is not depressed; and Group 3 – both parents are not depressed.
Mental state (depression) of parents was measured by the CESD-10. For infants, Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), the parent-completed infant monitoring system, Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R-S), the assessment of infant temperament, and Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) were administered. Parent-infant interactions were measured by Parent-Child Interaction Play Assessment (P-CIPA), a modified scale of Mother-Infant Play Interaction Scale (MIPIS), and Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification (AMBIANCE).
The findings are as follows:
First, there was a difference among the three groups in terms of father-infant and mother-infant interactions depending on depression of parents. Mothers of Group 3 showed a higher degree of responses to and verbal interactions with infants and a lower degree of intrusion than mothers of Groups 1 & 2. Fathers of Group 3 used a higher level of responses to and visual and verbal interactions with infants than fathers of Groups 1 & 2. In terms of differences in each group, fathers of Group 1 showed a lower level of intrusion and a higher level of sensitivity to developmental level of infants than mothers. In Group 2, fathers showed a higher level of emotion and sensitivity to developmental level of infants and also showed a higher degree of responses to and visual and verbal interactions with infants than mothers. In Group 3, mothers showed a higher level of sensitivity to developmental level of infants and responses to infant interactions than fathers.
In terms of differences in infant interactions between groups, infants in Group 3 showed a higher level of responses and social responses to interaction of mothers than infants in Groups 1 & 2. In terms of interactions with father, infants in Group 3 showed a higher degree of responses than infants in Group 1. In terms of differences in infant interactions between groups, infants in Group 1 showed a higher degree of responses and social responses to fathers than to mothers. Infants in Group 2 showed a higher level of emotion, responses, and social responses to fathers than to mothers. No difference was found in Group 3.
In terms of difference in parent-infant synchronous interactions between groups, Group 3 showed a higher level of emotional synchronism and participation in mother-infant interactions than the other two groups. In terms of father-infant interactions, Group 3 showed a higher degree of emotional synchronism than Group 1. Inside the same group, father-infant interactions in Group 1 showed a higher level of emotional synchronism than mother-infant interactions. In Groups 2 & 3, father-infant interactions showed a higher degree of emotional synchronism and participation in interactions than mother-infant interactions.
Second, there was a difference in characteristics of atypical behaviors of parents depending on depression of parents. Mothers with depression showed more difficulties in responding to signals from infants and inappropriate emotion to behaviors of infants compared with mothers without depression. They were also negative and intrusive physically and verbally and kept distance from infants. Fathers with depression showed less inappropriate emotion to behaviors of infants than fathers without depression. However, they showed a higher level of verbal withdrawal that they kept verbal distance from infants.
Third, there were correlations between parent-infant interactions and depression of parents. For depression of mothers, correlations were found between emotion of mothers and emotion and visual response of infants, between mothers’ response to infant interaction and response of infants, and between visual response of mothers and emotion, response, visual response, and social response of infants. For mothers without depression, correlations were found between intrusion of mothers and response and social response of infants, between sensitivity of mothers to developmental level of infants and response of infants, between response of mothers to infant interaction and response and social response of infants, and between frequencies of verbal interactions of mothers and response and social response of infants. In terms of depression of fathers, correlations were found between emotion of fathers and emotion and visual response of infants, and between response of fathers to infant interactions and emotion and social response of infants. For fathers without depression, correlations were found between emotion of fathers and emotion and visual response of infants, between intrusion of fathers and social response of infants, between sensitivity of fathers to developmental level of infants and response and social response of infants, between response of fathers to infant interaction and response and social response of infants, and between frequencies of verbal interactions of fathers and response of infants.
Fourth, in terms of difference in the developmental level among infants between groups which was measured by ITSEA, infants in Groups 1 & 2 showed a higher level of difficulties in adapting to unfamiliar environments and sleep problems than infants in Group 3. However, no difference was found between