Depressed mothers: They don't 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. Depression characteristics (diagnostic subtype/remission status) were related to maternal self-report and mother-child interactions. Method: Mothers completed standardized questionnaires and the dyad was observed in the 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, women with more severe/chronic depression showed behavioral differences but were no different from less depressed women on self-report measures. Women in remission improved for self-report, but not for observational data. Conclusions: The consequences of maternal depression vary depending on type of depression, severity, chronicity, current mood status, and on how the impact of depression is measured.