DEPRESSED MOTHERS - THEY DONT ALWAYS LOOK AS BAD AS THEY FEEL

Objective: The relationship of maternal depression to self-report and observational data was investigated in a sample of depressed (n = 30) and nondepressed women (n = 32) and their 3-year-old children. Depress ion characteristics (diagnostic subtype/remission status) were related to maternal self-report and mother-child interactions. Method: Mother s completed standardized questionnaires and the dyad was observed in t he laboratory. Observations were rated for maternal behavior and child attachment. Results: There were no differences between depressed and nondepressed groups on observational measures; depressed mothers' self -report was consistently more negative. Within the depressed group, wo men with more severe/chronic depression showed behavioral differences but were no different from less depressed women on self-report measure s. Women in remission improved for self-report, but not for observatio nal data. Conclusions: The consequences of maternal depression vary de pending on type of depression, severity, chronicity, current mood stat us, and on how the impact of depression is measured.