2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-15-2025

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Jennifer Weaver

Abstract

Several studies have emphasized the effect that maternal severe mental illness (SMI) has on the psychological and behavioral outcomes of the child, (Stender et al., 2024). Stender et al., (2024) claim that chronic exposure to maternal depression during the early stages of a child’s life puts the child at a higher risk of internalizing and externalizing problems later in life. Early exposure to maternal depression is also related to alterations in cortisol secretion in offspring during childhood and adolescence, which puts the adolescent at a higher risk of developing depressive symptoms (Halligan et al., 2007).

The current study analyzed data on 1,364 children and their families at 10 locations across the United States, which was collected by the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. This study tested the hypothesis that children of mothers who experienced higher rates of depressive symptoms across a child’s early years (birth to 36 months) would have higher rates of internalizing and externalizing problems in their adolescent years (15 years old). Six regression analyses were run with SPSS to test the effects of maternal depressive symptoms on child internalizing and externalizing problems while controlling for several relevant covariates.

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