Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This article is made available via the PMC Open Access Subset for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. Early exposure to maternal depression is a key risk factor for child mental illness MI , but there are limited programs that interrupt intergenerational transmission.
The week program was completed in a group-based format using mixed methods questionnaires and interviews. Mothers with higher adversity exhibited greater reductions in parenting stress. Qualitative results highlighted efficacy in promoting positive parentβchild relationships, rewarding parenting experiences, competence, and child development. There was strong satisfaction with the program material and efficacy across key outcomes.
Keywords: Prevention science, Maternal depression, Parenting, Child psychopathology, Stress, Emotion regulation, Dialectical behavior therapy. Children with MI, including disruptive behaviour, attention deficit hyperactivity, anxiety and mood disorders, experience low quality of life similar to children with chronic physical health conditions [ 3 ]. Notably, the intergenerational transmission of MI risk is understood to be largely transdiagnostic, such that early life exposure to one type of maternal MI e.
Effective interventions are needed to treat maternal MI and promote mental health in at-risk children [ 7 ]. Despite the identification of unmet needs for mothers with MI and their children, there are limited programs that effectively support both maternal and child mental health to ultimately prevent intergenerational transmission [ 8 ].
A lack of programming that integrates maternal mental health and parenting support poses significant obstacles for mothers given the logistics of attending two separate programs and the challenges of learning two different sets of therapeutic techniques [ 9 ]. Programs that only target adult MI reduce maternal mental health symptoms but have limited effects on child outcomes [ 10 ].
