Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Mothers of Young Children

Mothers of young children are at risk for depressive symptoms due to their gender and status as parents. The primary purposes of this study were (1) to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a sample of mothers with young children, (2) to identify sociodemographic correlates of depressive symptoms among the women, and (3) to determine if chronic stress is associated with depressive symptoms independent of other risk factors. In-home interviews were conducted with 196 mothers of 5- and 6-year-old children using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression (CES-D) Scale and the Everyday Stressors Index (ESI). High depressive symptoms (CES-D greater than or equal to 16) were reported by 49% of the mothers. They were highest among those who had never married, had less than a high school education, were under 25 years of age, were black, and had a low income. The ESI was a strong predictor of high depressive symptoms, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. In comparison to mothers reporting a low level of everyday stressors (score = 5), those scoring 15 were 3 times more likely to have high depressive symptoms; those scoring 35 were more than 30 times as likely to have high CES-D scores. The results suggest the importance of chronic daily stressors as correlates of depressive symptoms in mothers of young children and also point to the need for multivariate models when examining predictors of those symptoms.     

Factors Related to Positive Perceptions in Mothers of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Background Existing theoretical and empirical work in the intellectual disability field has paid little attention to parents' positive perceptions of their child and the positive impact that the child may have on the family generally. The main aim of the present study was to explore the factors related to the mothers' positive perceptions of their child with intellectual disability. Methods The mothers of 41 children with intellectual disabilities completed a self‐report questionnaire that measured demographic factors, child demographic variables (including caregiving demand), social support, coping strategies and dimensions of positive perceptions. Results Mothers' perceptions of the child as a source of happiness/fulfilment and as a source of strength and family closeness were positively associated with reframing coping strategies. Mothers' perceptions of the child as a source of personal growth and maturity were also positively associated with reframing coping strategies, the helpfulness and usefulness of support from family and friends, and the caregiving demand. Conclusions The relationship between coping and parental positive perceptions requires more investigation both theoretically and empirically. This relationship may also have important implications for the support of families of children with intellectual disabilities.     

Patterns of Depressive Symptoms in Children

PROBLEM: Depressive symptoms in children have been linked to recurrent problems with depression, school problems, and risky health behaviors. Adolescent girls report depressive symptoms three to four times more frequently than adolescent boys. Few studies, however, have examined gender-related depressive symptoms in younger, school-aged children. METHODS: In the present study, gender differences in depressive symptoms in children ages 10-12 years were explored using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) with a convenience sample of 122 suburban middle-class public school fifth and sixth graders. FINDINGS: A distinct pattern of depressive symptom expression was found with girls reporting more internalizing and more negative self-esteem, and boys reporting more externalizing and more school problems. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that despite similarities on a total depressive symptom score, there are distinct gender differences in depressive symptom expression that are identifiable before adolescence and may be associated with normative development.     

Depressive Symptoms and Associated Factors in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PROBLEM: To compare depressive symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to those in healthy children, and to explore the influence of individual and family factors on level of depression. METHODS: Individual interviews with 68 children, ages 7 to 12 years, in order to complete the Children's Depression Inventory. FINDINGS: Children with ADHD reported significantly more depressive symptoms than did children without ADHD; 14.7% of children with ADHD reached the threshold of a 19 point score, which suggests clinical depression. No significant effects of individual and family factors on level of depression were found. CONCLUSIONS: Children with ADHD are more inclined to experience depressive symptoms than are healthy children. To plan appropriate interventions, nurses evaluating and working with children with ADHD should always consider a possible coexistence of depressive symptoms.     

Promoting Responsiveness between Mothers with Depressive Symptoms and Their Infants

Purpose: To test the efficacy of an interactive coaching intervention to promote responsiveness between mothers experiencing postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) and their infants.
Design: An experimental design with 117 postpartum women in the Northeastern United States.
Methods: Participants were randomly assigned either to the treatment or control group. Both groups had home visits at 4–8 weeks, 10–14 weeks, and 14–18 weeks postpartum and mother-infant interaction was videotaped and coded for responsiveness. The treatment group also received a coached behavioral intervention designed to promote maternal-infant responsiveness. Measures included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Dyadic Mutuality Code.
Findings: The hypothesis, that the treatment group would show significantly higher maternal infant responsiveness after the intervention, was supported. No effect of the intervention on depression scores was found. A significant increase in responsiveness and a significant decrease in depression scores occurred over time for both treatment and control groups. No interaction between group and time was detected.
Conclusions: The study showed that a coaching strategy had a positive effect on maternal infant interaction in this sample. Future research is needed to test coaching interventions in conjunction with other strategies targeted to promote maternal-infant responsiveness and to reduce PPDS.     

老年住院病人抑郁症状及其影响因素的研究

为提高老年住院病人护理质量 ,应用CES -D量表对 137例老年内科住院病人的抑郁症状及其影响因素进行了问卷调查。结果显示 ,38.0 %的老年住院病人存在轻重不等的抑郁症状 ;病人的日常生活自理能力、健康自我评价、经济负担是影响其抑郁症状发生的主要因素。本文对如何采取有效措施减轻或消除老年住院病人的抑郁提供了理论依据 ,并提出了几点建议     

Factors Related to Obesity in Mexican-American Preschool Children

For participation in this study, 31 Mexican-American children between the ages of 3 and 5 years and their mothers were recruited. Feeding practices and values related to body perception were assessed. Mothers of obese children preferredfat babies and were themselves more overweight than were the mothers of nonobese children. The differences were statistically significant. The study has implications for nursing practice in the identification of children at increased risk for obesity related to maternal, environmental and cultural factors.     

Testing an Intervention to Reduce Negative Thinking, Depressive Symptoms, and Chronic Stressors in Low-Income Single Mothers

PURPOSE: To test the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral group intervention in reducing depressive symptoms, negative thinking, and chronic stressors in low-income, single mothers at risk for depression. DESIGN AND METHODS: A randomized, controlled prevention trial was conducted with 136 low-income, single mothers with children between the ages of 2 and 6 years. Each participant was screened before enrollment and was determined to be at risk for depression. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. The experimental group was invited to participate in a 4- to 6-week cognitive-behavioral group intervention. Data on depressive symptoms, negative thinking, and chronic stressors were collected via self-report questionnaires from control and experimental groups at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months after the intervention to assess the effects of the intervention. FINDINGS: Compared with those in the control group, women who received the intervention had a greater decrease in depressive symptoms, negative thinking, and chronic stressors; these beneficial effects were maintained over a 6-month period. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate the effectiveness of this cognitive-behavioral group intervention and show the beneficial effects of reducing negative thinking via the use of affirmations and thought-stopping techniques.     

离退休人员焦虑、抑郁症状及相关因素分析

为探讨离退休人员存在的焦虑、抑郁症状,采用焦虑自评量表(SAS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)和艾森克个性问卷(EPQ)对780位离退休人员进行了调查。结果发现46～50岁和61～65岁及内、外向不稳定型性格的离退休人员易发生焦虑、抑郁症状。提示,离退休人员是一个特殊的需要关注的群体,应改善其不良的环境条件,给予多方面的干预措施,减少心理冲突与压力。     

Coping, Negative Cognitive Style and Depressive Symptoms in Children of Depressed Parents

Coping and negative cognitive style were studied in relation to depressive symptoms in children at risk for depression. In a sample of 165 children (ages 9–15) of depressed parents, the main and interaction effects of coping and negative cognitive style were examined in association with children’s depressive symptoms measured by parent and child report on questionnaires and diagnostic interviews. Negative cognitive style was related to three types of coping (primary control, secondary control, and disengagement). Furthermore, coping and negative cognitive style made independent contributions to depressive symptoms. Little support emerged for interactive effects on depressive symptoms. Implications for future research with this high-risk population of children are considered.     

Specificity in Personality and Cognitive Factors Associated with Drinking and Depressive Symptoms

The purpose of this investigation was to demonstrate whether personality and cognitive factors associated with depression and drinking were behavior-specific or general to problem behavior in youth. High school students aged 14–18 completed measures of trait disinhibition, trait inhibition, alcohol expectancies, and generalized outcome expectancies. Linear regression determined the relative contribution of each set of personality and cognitive variables in predicting drinking symptoms and symptoms of depression in youth. In the case of depression, depression factors, particularly cognitive factors, predicted 42% of the variance above and beyond background and alcohol variables. In the case of drinking, drinking risk factors predicted 42% of the variance in drinking symptoms above and beyond demographic variables and variables associated with depression. Despite small cross over in prediction (e.g., alcohol variables accounting for 4% unique variance in depression), personality and cognitive factors associated with drinking and depression were largely specific in this adolescent sample.     

Factors Related to Emotional Responses in School-aged Children Who Have Asthma

A systematic review of the literature was performed to answer the following questions (a) What factors contribute to the emotional responses of school-age children who have asthma? (b) What are the potential gaps in the literature regarding the emotional responses of school-age children (ages 6–12) who have asthma? (c) Are children with a lower socioeconomic status (SES) and those who are minorities represented in the literature proportionate to their prevalence? Two main focus areas regarding emotional responses were identified: (a) factors related to children who have asthma and (b) factors related to caregivers of children who have asthma. Internalizing disorders were reported consistently for children and caregivers of children who have asthma. Negative consequences of asthma for children included panic and asthma attacks, missed school days, and behavioral problems. Issues for caregivers included higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, asthma management deficits, and lower caregiver warmth and involvement. Gaps in the literature included separated studies for children ages 6–12, a lack of a standardized method to define SES, studies that were of a more experimental nature, and a disparate number of studies of minority children and caregivers relative to their asthma prevalence.     

Depressive Symptoms in Extended-Care Employees: Children,Social Support,and Work-Family Conditions

To examine the relation between having a child aged 18 years and under in the home and employee depressive symptoms, we analyzed cross-sectional data from four extended care facilities in Boston, MA (n = 376 employees). Results show that having a child is associated with slightly higher depressive symptoms. The strength of this relationship in our models is attenuated with the inclusion of social support at home (β = 1.08 and β = 0.85, with and without support, respectively) and may differ by gender. We recommend that future research examine the role of parenting and social support in predicting employee mental health.     

门诊小儿静脉输液陪人焦虑相关因素探讨

目的分析门诊小儿静脉输液陪人焦虑发生率及其相关因素。方法采用焦虑自评量表(SAS)对小儿陪人832名进行评估;收集小儿输液过程中发生的护士陪人矛盾实例和陪人一般资料。将所有资料进行Logisctic回归分析和最优尺度分析。结果患儿母亲、文化程度低者、对小儿疾病病情不清楚者、发生护陪矛盾者容易发生焦虑。结论小儿陪人焦虑与护陪矛盾有密切联系,了解小儿陪人焦虑发生原因,重点关注焦虑易发人群,做好心理护理,可减少护陪矛盾发生。