From adolescence to parenthood: a multi-decade study of preconception mental health problems and postpartum parent–infant bonds

JA Macdonald; C Greenwood; P Letcher; EA Spry; HM McAnally; K Thomson; D Hutchinson; GJ Youssef; J McIntosh; RJ Hancox; GC Patton; CA Olsson

Journal article

From adolescence to parenthood: a multi-decade study of preconception mental health problems and postpartum parent–infant bonds

JA Macdonald, C Greenwood, P Letcher, EA Spry, HM McAnally, K Thomson, D Hutchinson, GJ Youssef, J McIntosh, RJ Hancox, GC Patton, CA Olsson

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | SPRINGER HEIDELBERG | Published : 2022

DOI: 10.1007/s00127-020-01965-y

Abstract

Purpose: To examine associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms across adolescence and young adulthood with subsequent maternal- and paternal–infant bonding at 1 year postpartum. Methods: The data were from a prospective, intergenerational cohort study. Participants (381 mothers of 648 infants; 277 fathers of 421 infants) self-reported depression and anxiety at three adolescent waves (ages 13, 15 and 17 years) and three young adult waves (ages 19, 23 and 27 years). Subsequent parent–infant bonds with infants were reported at 1 year postpartum (parent age 29–35 years). Generalised estimating equations (GEE) separately assessed associations for mothers and fathers. Results: Mean postp..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Jacqui MacDonald Author

Related Projects (2)

PRECONCEPTION PREDICTORS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A 30-YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS AND CHILDREN

There is increasing recognition of the importance of preconception pathways in shaping the family environments that parents provide for thei..

INTERGENERATIONAL PREDICTION OF SOCIAL AND EARLY EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This project aims to investigate multi-generational influences on child psychosocial development. It plans to take advantage of a not-to-be-..

Grants

Awarded by University of Otago

Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [DP130101459; DP160103160; DP180102447] and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia [APP1082406; APP1175086; APP1197488].