Do Improvements in Maternal Mental Health Predict Improvements in Parenting? Mechanisms of the Mindful with Your Baby Training

Eva S. Potharst, Manon Kuijl, Daphne Wind and Susan M. Bögels
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Eva S. Potharst: UvA Minds, Academic Outpatient (Child and Adolescent) Treatment Centre of the University of Amsterdam, Banstraat 29, 1071 JW Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Manon Kuijl: UvA Minds, Academic Outpatient (Child and Adolescent) Treatment Centre of the University of Amsterdam, Banstraat 29, 1071 JW Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Daphne Wind: UvA Minds, Academic Outpatient (Child and Adolescent) Treatment Centre of the University of Amsterdam, Banstraat 29, 1071 JW Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Susan M. Bögels: Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-21

Abstract: Postpartum mental health symptoms are associated with parenting difficulties, which have negative consequences for child development. Interventions for young mothers should target their mental health problems and parenting difficulties. Mindful with Your Baby (MwyB) is an intervention for parents, with a baby, who experience (mental) health problems and/or stress or insecurity in parenting. This study seeks to replicate previous effects of MwyB regarding mindfulness, mindful parenting, maternal (mental) health (psychological distress, depressive mood, physical health complaints) and parenting outcomes (parenting stress, parental self-efficacy, bonding), and gain insight into the working mechanisms of the training. Mothers with babies aged 1–18 months ( n = 61) completed questionnaires at waitlist, pretest, posttest, and 8-week follow-up. No significant differences were seen between the waitlist and pretest. Significant improvements in all outcomes were shown in the posttest (except for physical health complaints) and follow-up, compared to the pretest. Improvements in depressive symptoms and physical health complaints were dependent on improvements in mindfulness. Improvements in parental self-efficacy were dependent on improvements in mindful parenting. Improvements in some (mental) health and parenting outcomes seemed to be bidirectional. The results suggest that both mindfulness and mindful parenting are important for mothers who experience psychological distress and/or stress or insecurity in parenting their babies.

Keywords: mindfulness; mindful parenting; postpartum depression; mental health; parenting stress; parental self-efficacy; bonding; intervention; infants; mechanisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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