Sources of Parenting Stress for Depressed and Nondepressed Mothers of Infants

Abstract

Abstract Studied child- and parent-focused parenting stress in 71 clinically depressed and 53 nondepressed mothers of infants 3 to 13 months old. Depressed mothers reported more parenting stress and daily hassles, less marital harmony, and less social support than nondepressed mothers, and they were rated as less competent with their infant. Mothers of temperamentally difficult infants reported greater stress, and depressed women with difficult infants were highest in child-focused stress. In hierarchical multiple-regression analyses predicting child-focused stress, infant difficulty was the only significant predictor for depressed women, but nondepressed women's child-focused stress was predicted by both the demographic composite and infant difficulty. The depressed group's parent-related stress was predicted by depression level, infant temperament, and marital discord, but for nondepressed mothers, only the demographic factors and infant temperament were significant predictors. Depressed women reporting greater child- and parent-focused stress were independently rated as less competent parents than those under less stress.