The Longitudinal Effects of Maternal Mental Health on Child Coping

Mexican-origin immigrant women have reported significantly more symptoms of depression and comorbid anxiety than white women and Latino men. Generally, depressed and anxious people are more likely to exhibit higher negative affect and lower positive affect. This is especially significant within a family context, because parental negative affect has been shown to be related to poor child development and behavior, whereas positive affect has been associated with positive child coping and greater resilience. This current study is examining how maternal depression and anxiety impact child coping (primary, secondary and disengagement coping), and if this association is mediated by observed maternal positive and negative affect.