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Affective Disorder in Mothers of Young Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Evelyn J. Bromet ,
Zahava H. Solomon ,
Leslie O. Dunn  and
Nancy N. Nicklas
Evelyn J. Bromet
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology
Zahava H. Solomon
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology
Leslie O. Dunn
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry
Nancy N. Nicklas
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylavania 15261, USA
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Summary

This research assessed the rate of affective disorder in 124 mothers of preschool children, which was found to be lower than in earlier studies, i.e. twelve per cent during the child-rearing years, and eight per cent in the year before interview. In half of those mothers who had an affective episode during the child-rearing years, its onset had predated the birth of the first child. We investigated sociodemographic and social support variables in relation to clinical and subclinical disturbance and found only modest associations.

The apparent discrepancy between the present findings and those of previous research is discussed in relation to environmental and methodological factors.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 140 , Issue 1 , January 1982 , pp. 30 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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