Maternal age and depressive symptoms in a low-income sample

✍ Scribed by Elaine M. Eshbaugh

• Book ID: 102311055
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 141 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0090-4392
• DOI: 10.1002/jcop.20201

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

In this study, depressive symptoms of 2,011 European‐American, African‐American, and Latina low‐income mothers at approximately 14 months after birth of the child were examined. Maternal age was used as a predictor of depressive symptoms. Overall, 31.9% of mothers were classified as depressed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Younger mothers tended to have more depressive symptoms among European‐American mothers only. Latina mothers had fewer depressive symptoms than African‐American and European‐American mothers. Number of children 5 years and under in the home was positively related to depressive symptoms. In addition, mothers with higher levels of self‐mastery reported fewer symptoms of depression. Implications for preventing maternal depressive symptoms are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.