A June, 2006 study reported in the journal Maternal and Child Health, explores the failure of pediatricians to identify maternal depression, despite its high prevalence and its negative consequences for children.
The goal of the study was to determine whether simple questions about parenting competence and the adequacy of maternal social support might be useful to providers in determining which inner-city mothers are likely to be depressed.
The results showed that 41% of mothers had "high" scores on a "Psychiatric Symptoms Index" and 22% had scores above a criterion that suggests major depressive disorder. In addition, 15% experienced high parenting stress (feelings of low parenting competence) and 42% reported little or no social support.
The study concludes that these factors and the presence of health-related activity restrictions can be useful markers of likely depression among inner-city mothers of young children. Since these factors are often assessed during routine pediatric visits, they may be helpful to pediatricians in identifying mothers who need further evaluation or treatment by mental health specialists.
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