Bidirectional associations between maternal depression and child behavior problems have been reported in prior research, however, few studies examine these relations across varied family contexts. This study examined parenting stress and child diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as moderators of bidirectional associations between maternal depression and child behavior problems over time. Our sample included 86 mother-child dyads who reported maternal depressive symptoms, child behavior problems, and parenting stress at three time points over more than 1 year. Approximately half were mothers of children with ASD (n = 41) and half were mothers of neurotypical children (n = 45). We tested the bidirectional associations between maternal depressive symptoms and children's behavior problems and the potential moderating role of parental stress or child ASD diagnosis on these bidirectional associations using aggregated, lagged, and linear mixed models. Even after controlling for lagged maternal depressive symptoms, child behavior problems were associated with greater subsequent maternal depression at the between-person level, but not at the within-person level. The converse relation of prior maternal depressive symptoms on subsequent child behavior problems was not significant. Neither parenting stress nor child ASD diagnosis moderated bidirectional associations between maternal depressive symptoms and children's behavior problems. Child behavior predicted maternal depression, but the converse was not true, regardless of parenting stress levels or child's ASD diagnosis. For mothers experiencing elevated parenting stress and those with children with ASD, this may help alleviate elevated feelings of guilt related to their children's behavior problems.
在过往的研究中已经研究得出母亲方面的抑郁症和儿童行为问题之间存在双向联系，然而很少有研究是在不同的家庭背景情况下研究这些关系。本研究考察了父母的压力和儿童自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)的诊断作为母亲抑郁症和儿童行为问题之间双向联系的调节因素。 我们的样本包括86对母子，他们在一年多的时间里，在三个时间点报告了母亲的抑郁症状、儿童行为问题和养育压力。大约一半是自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)儿童的母亲，一半是神经型儿童的母亲(n = 45)。我们使用汇总、滞后、线性混合模型测试了母亲抑郁症状和儿童行为问题之间的双向联系，以及父母压力或儿童ASD诊断对这些双向联系的潜在调节作用。 即使在控制了滞后的母亲抑郁症状后，在人与人之间的层面上，儿童行为问题与随后的母亲抑郁症有关联，但在人与人之间的层面上没有。母亲先前的抑郁症状与随后的儿童行为问题的相反关系并不显著。养育压力和儿童ASD诊断都不能调节母亲抑郁症状和儿童行为问题之间的双向关系。 儿童行为预示着母亲方面随之而来的抑郁，但反之则不然，无论父母的压力水平或儿童的ASD诊断如何。对于经历养育压力增加的母亲和那些有ASD自闭症孩子的母亲来说，这可能有助于缓解与孩子行为问题相关的内疚感的增加。.
Keywords: autism; bidirectional; child behavior; maternal depression; parenting stress; 儿童行为; 养育压力; 双向性; 母亲抑郁症; 自闭症.
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