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Associations between postnatal maternal depression and psychological outcomes in adolescent offspring: a systematic review

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Abstract

Postnatal depression (PND) affects approximately 10–20 % of new mothers in developed countries, with accumulating research documenting its adverse impact on not only the mother but also the wider family. Longitudinal studies assessing potential effects of maternal PND on offspring are mounting, and it is therefore timely to investigate the long-term psychological outcomes for adolescent offspring who were exposed to PND in infancy. PsycINFO, Medline, and Embase databases were searched with key terms for English language abstracts. Papers of 16 were identified that examined associations between PND and internalising problems, externalising problems, psychopathology, psychosocial, and cognitive outcomes of adolescent offspring. Impaired offspring cognitive outcomes reflected some of the most consistent findings. Conflicting evidence was found for an effect of PND on adolescent offspring internalising and externalising problems and overall psychopathology. Psychosocial outcomes in offspring adolescents indicated a specific adverse effect, although based on only two studies. Significant gender differences across outcomes were found. It was concluded that PND possibly increases risk vulnerability in the presence of recurrent, concurrent, and antenatal maternal depression but that these latter factors alone may be the stronger specific predictors. Limitations of the review are discussed as well as implications for future research and clinical practice.

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Notes

  1. This study (Margolies 1989) was not included in the current review as it did not meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria.

  2. The term maternal cognitive support refers to the cognitive support and enrichment, provided in maternal speech utterances to their child, which provide cognitive and linguistic enrichment by extending and elaborating their child’s utterances (see Murray et al. 1996).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Unit of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, The Centre for Mental Health, Hammersmith Hospital Campus Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W2 0NN, UK

    Camilla Sanger, Jane E. Iles & Paul G. Ramchandani

  2. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Talking Health Service, 25 Erleigh Road, Reading, RG1 5LR, UK

    Catharina S. Andrew

  3. Warneford Hospital, The Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK

    Camilla Sanger

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  1. Camilla Sanger
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  2. Jane E. Iles
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  3. Catharina S. Andrew
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  4. Paul G. Ramchandani
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Correspondence to Camilla Sanger.

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Sanger, C., Iles, J.E., Andrew, C.S. et al. Associations between postnatal maternal depression and psychological outcomes in adolescent offspring: a systematic review. Arch Womens Ment Health 18, 147–162 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-014-0463-2

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