Predictors of mother-infant interaction quality in women at risk of postpartum psychosis: The role of emotion recognition
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Authors
Biaggi, Alessandra
Hazelgrove, Katie
Waites, Freddie
Bind, Rebecca H.
Lawrence, Andrew J.
Fuste, Montserrat
Conroy, Susan
Howard, Louise M.
Mehta, Mitul A.
Miele, Maddalena
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Issue Date
15/12/2024
Type
Journal article
Language
Keywords
Mental Health
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background: Limited research exists on mother-infant interaction in women at-risk-of postpartum psychosis (PP). This study aimed to investigate potential predictors of mother-infant interaction quality in women at-risk-of-PP during the first postnatal year. Potential predictors investigated were: maternal ability to recognize emotions, childhood maltreatment, parenting stress, and infant social-interactive behaviour at birth.
Methods: 98 women (and their offspring) were included, 40 at-risk-of-PP because of a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder or previous PP, and 58 with no current/previous mental illness or family history of PP. Mother-infant interaction was assessed using the CARE-Index at 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. Maternal ability to recognize emotions was assessed with the VERT-K, maternal experience of childhood maltreatment with the CECA-Q, maternal parenting stress with the PSI-SF and infant social-interactive behaviour with the NBAS.
Results: Women at-risk-of-PP were less able to recognize fear than healthy controls and this predicted the quality of the mother-infant interaction at 8 weeks' and 12 months' post partum, over and above the effect of maternal Group (respectively, β = 0.33, p = .015; β = 0.40, p = .006). Infant social-interactive behaviour at birth was a significant predictor for mother-infant interaction at 12 months (β = 0.32, p = .031), although this did not differ significantly between the groups.
Limitations: A relatively small sample size precluded a more in-depth investigation of indirect pathways and other potential predictors.
Conclusions: These results are important as they suggest that preventive interventions targeting emotion recognition may be implemented in women at-risk-of-PP, with the aim of improving mother-infant interaction and potentially also the infant long-term development.
Description
Citation
Journal of Affective Disorders,
Volume 367,
2024,
Pages 562-572,
ISSN 0165-0327,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.180.
Publisher
License
Journal
Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume
367