Dr. Keith Conron and his colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health evaluated data on 5,500 families involved in child abuse investigations, measuring mothers for depression at the beginning of the study, 18 months later and then three years later. About one in four of the mothers had major depression.
- In each of the three surveys, if a mother developed depression over the course of the study, she was more likely to use threats, name-calling and other forms of aggression against her children by an average of two extra incidents the year.
- If a mother's partner abused her, she was more likely to be physically abusive and neglectful of her children.
- If she moved in with a non-abusive partner, she was more likely to do to decrease aggressive her behavior toward children.
Labels: mothers, depression, abuse
Posted By: Aspen/CRC