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Prevalence of mental health problems in preschoolers and the impact of maternal depression

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Abstract

A large number of children of depressed mothers have one or more mental disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of maternal depression on the mental health of 4–5-year-old children of adolescent mothers, according to the hypotheses generated from the model of accumulation. Between October 2009 and March 2011, all pregnant adolescents who received prenatal care from the public health system in Pelotas (southern Brazil) were invited to participate in the study and have been prospectively followed. Of these individuals, 413 participants were evaluated in the postpartum period and when the child was 2–3 years old and 4–5 years old (current stage). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess mental health problems in children, and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)-Plus version was used to assess maternal depression. We applied a structured modeling approach to examine the relations between three different hypothesized life course models (accumulation, critical period, and mobility) and maternal depression. After selecting the most appropriate model, we used a logistic regression analysis to assess the effect of depression on mental health problems in 4–5-year-old children of adolescent mothers. We used the Chi square test to estimate the prevalence of mental health problems in 4–5-year-old children. The longer the time of exposure to maternal depression, the greater the probability that the child would present behavioral problems. Investments in strategies to prevent mental disorders beginning in the gestational period are important.

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Funding

This research was funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ)—Process no 474786/2012-9.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Programme in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil

    Andressa Jacondino Pires, Mariana Bonati de Matos, Carolina Coelho Scholl, Jéssica Puchalski Trettim, Fernanda Teixeira Coelho, Fábio Monteiro da Cunha Coelho, Karen Amaral Tavares Pinheiro, Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro & Luciana de Avila Quevedo

  2. Postgraduate Programme in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Gonçalves Chaves Street, 373, Room 411, Building C, Pelotas, RS, 96015-560, Brazil

    Luciana de Avila Quevedo

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  1. Andressa Jacondino Pires
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  2. Mariana Bonati de Matos
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  3. Carolina Coelho Scholl
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  8. Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro
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  9. Luciana de Avila Quevedo
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Correspondence to Luciana de Avila Quevedo.

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Pires, A.J., de Matos, M.B., Scholl, C.C. et al. Prevalence of mental health problems in preschoolers and the impact of maternal depression. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 29, 605–616 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01381-x

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