IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i13p7571-d843870.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Eva S. Potharst

    (UvA Minds, Academic Outpatient (Child and Adolescent) Treatment Centre of the University of Amsterdam, Banstraat 29, 1071 JW Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS 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
    Mindfulness by Daphne, Harlingerstraatweg 27, 8913 AB Leeuwarden, The Netherlands)

  • Susan M. Bögels

    (Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Eva S. Potharst & Manon Kuijl & Daphne Wind & Susan M. Bögels, 2022. "Do Improvements in Maternal Mental Health Predict Improvements in Parenting? Mechanisms of the Mindful with Your Baby Training," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-21, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7571-:d:843870
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7571/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7571/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karolina Lutkiewicz & Łucja Bieleninik & Mariusz Cieślak & Mariola Bidzan, 2020. "Maternal–Infant Bonding and Its Relationships with Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Stress and Anxiety in the Early Postpartum Period in a Polish Sample," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-12, July.
    2. Barboza-Salerno, Gia Elise, 2020. "Cognitive readiness to parent, stability and change in postpartum parenting stress and social-emotional problems in early childhood: A second order growth curve model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hanna Przybyła-Basista & Elżbieta Kwiecińska & Michalina Ilska, 2020. "Body Acceptance by Pregnant Women and Their Attitudes toward Pregnancy and Maternity as Predictors of Prenatal Depression," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Łucja Bieleninik & Mark Ettenberger & Shulamit Epstein & Cochavit Elefant & Shmuel Arnon, 2021. "Potential Psychological and Biological Mechanisms Underlying the Effectiveness of Neonatal Music Therapy during Kangaroo Mother Care for Preterm Infants and Their Parents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-12, August.
    3. Joanna Dymecka & Rafał Gerymski & Adrianna Iszczuk & Mariola Bidzan, 2021. "Fear of Coronavirus, Stress and Fear of Childbirth in Polish Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Kusuma Minayati & Raden Irawati ismail & Fiona Valerie Muskananfola & Teresia Putri Widia Nugraheni & Shafira Chairunnisa & Nathaniel Evan Raphaela Wiriadinata & Michael Sugiyanto & Angelina Clarissa , 2023. "Psychosocial factors associated with mother–infant bonding in Indonesian samples," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(2), pages 313-321, March.
    5. Genova Federica & Tambelli Renata & Eleonora Marzilli, 2023. "Parental Postnatal Depression in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Its Effects on the Parent–Child Relationship and the Child’s Developmental Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Nicla Cucinella & Rossella Canale & Maria Valentina Cavarretta & Sonia Ingoglia & Nicolò Maria Iannello & Cristiano Inguglia, 2022. "Maternal Parenting and Preschoolers’ Psychosocial Adjustment: A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, October.
    7. Janeth Juarez Padilla & Chelsea R. Singleton & Cort A. Pedersen & Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo, 2022. "Associations between Self-Rated Health and Perinatal Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Latina Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-13, September.
    8. Moreno, Amanda J. & Byers, Kaela & Monahan, Emma & Robinson, JoAnn L. & McCrae, Julie, 2021. "Beyond overwhelmed: A new measure of the functional impact of toxic stress on parents of young children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7571-:d:843870. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.