MODERATELY DYSPHORIC MOTHERS BEHAVE MORE POSITIVELY WITH THEIR INFANTS AFTER COMPLETING THE BDI

To determine whether mildly and moderately dysphoric adolescent mother s display infantized facial and vocal behaviors, 21 nondysphoric mothe rs and 32 dysphoric (16 mildly and 16 moderately/severely dysphoric) m others were videotaped during face-to-face interactions with their 4-m onth-old infants. Mildly dysphoric mothers showed less positive facial expressions and less animated/exaggerated vocal expressions. The mode rately/severely dysphoric mothers, however, did not differ from nondys phoric mothers in their display of facial and vocal behaviors. These m others with higher Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores may have bec ome concerned about their many symptoms affecting their interactions a nd tried to compensate for this during their interactions. A second st udy was conducted to determine whether completing the BDI before inter actions positively affected the moderately/severely dysphoric mothers' behavior. Moderately/severely dysphoric mothers (N = 24) and mildly d ysphoric mothers (N = 24) were given the Beck Depression Inventory eit her before or after their face-to-face interactions with their 4-month -old infants. Moderately/severely dysphoric mothers who were given the BDI before their interactions showed more positive behavior than moth ers given the BDI after their interactions.