Health care utilization in infants of depressed mothers

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study will examine hypothesized relationships between postpartum depression and health care utilization in infants. A proposed direct relationship between postpartum depression and infant utilization will be examined as well as an indirect relationship through maternal parenting self-efficacy as a mediator. Two additional hypotheses will be addressed concurrently within the larger study:1) mother's anxiety disorder will serve as a moderator in the direct relationship between postpartum depression and pediatric utilization and 2) partner's mental illness will serve as a moderator in the relationship between maternal postpartum depression and parenting self-efficacy. Mothers and their partners will be recruited through the NIH-funded Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Antenatal Depression study (PI: Scott Stuart, M.D.). Regression analyses will be conducted to test the hypothesized relationships.