PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 3 September 2006, pp. e792-e800 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1841)
ARTICLE |
Maternal Depression and Violence Exposure: Double Jeopardy for Child School Functioning
a Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
b Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
OBJECTIVE. The goal was to determine how violence exposure affects the relationship between maternal depression, cognitive ability, and child behavior.
METHODS. A multivariate regression analysis of data for a nationally representative sample of kindergarten students was performed. Maternal depression and violence exposure were measured with standardized parent interviews. Standardized T scores were derived from direct testing of children in reading, mathematics, and general knowledge; child behavior was reported by teachers.
RESULTS. A total of 9360 children had neither maternal depression nor violence exposure, 779 violence only, 1564 depression only, and 380 both. Maternal depression alone was associated with poorer mean T scores for reading, mathematics, and general knowledge. However, this effect was attenuated by nearly 25% for reading and general knowledge with adjustment for violence. Children with concurrent exposure to depression and violence had lower mean T scores for reading, mathematics, and general knowledge, as well as more-concerning behaviors, than did those exposed to either factor alone. Across all outcome measures, boys seemed more affected than girls.
CONCLUSIONS. Violence compounds the effect of maternal depression on school functioning and behavior. Research and intervention planning for children affected by maternal depression should consider violence exposure.
Key Words: maternal depression violence school readiness child development
Abbreviations: ECLS-KEarly Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Kindergarten Cohort CES-DCenter for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ORodds ratio aORadjusted odds ratio CIconfidence interval
Accepted Apr 10, 2006.
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Technorati
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
K. K. Hood The Influence of Caregiver Depressive Symptoms on Proxy Report of Youth Depressive Symptoms: A Test of the Depression-Distortion Hypothesis in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes J. Pediatr. Psychol., April 1, 2009; 34(3): 294 - 303. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M Silverstein, M Augustyn, R Young, and B Zuckerman The relationship between maternal depression, in-home violence and use of physical punishment: what is the role of child behaviour? Arch. Dis. Child., February 1, 2009; 94(2): 138 - 143. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||







