Is it me or my child? The asymmetrical transactional nature between maternal depression and children’s behavior problems.
Abstract: While maternal depression and child behavior problems are strongly linked, few studies have examined the moderating factors that may influence this bidirectional relationship. This study examines stress as a potential moderator of the transactional associations between maternal depression and child behavior problems… While mothers of children with ASD often experience high levels of guilt around their children’s behavior problems, this study suggest that they are not to blame. Future therapies should aim to treat caregiver mental health from a holistic family framework taking into account these child-mediated interactions.