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This paper responds to the need to understand mechanisms in the pathways of risk from depression in mothers to their children’s functioning. We systematically reviewed evidence in support of one often-proposed mediational model: that problematic parenting at least partially explains associations between mothers’ depression and children’s adverse functioning. We further aimed to understand the conceptual and method-based moderators. Eligible studies had to be published in English in a peer-reviewed journal, include data on mothers’ depression and parenting and child functioning, and have a study design whereby measurement of depression in mothers preceded the measurement of parenting, which preceded the measurement of child outcome. Overall, across the 40 papers (37 “studies”) that met our inclusion criteria, we found a significant, albeit small effect (r = .016), for the mediational model as a whole. This effect size was robust to context (poverty and ethnicity), children’s characteristics of age and gender, and parenting quality (positive or negative). The model was significant for multiple domains of child functioning, although effect sizes varied across domains. We also found support, with small effect sizes, for all three pathways in the mediational model and some support for moderation of those pathways. Overall, the findings provide empirical support for parenting (both positive and negative) as a mediator of associations between mothers’ depression and a broad range of child functioning and suggest that interventions should target samples that represent the population in terms of poverty and ethnicity and children’s gender, with priority going to interventions targeting the youngest children.

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing widespread detrimental effects on mental health and quality of life, yet little research has examined effective coping strategies to mitigate these negative effects. The current study examined the association of 14 different coping strategies (categorized as approach or avoidance coping) with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and quality of life both cross-sectionally (N = 797) and longitudinally (n = 395). Avoidance coping was associated with higher depression, higher anxiety, and lower quality of life at baseline, and increased depression and anxiety over time. Approach coping was associated with lower depression and better quality of life at baseline but not over time. Further, depression and anxiety significantly mediated the association between coping and quality of life. Of the specific coping strategies examined, positive reframing was the most beneficial, suggesting that interventions focusing on reframing negative aspects of the pandemic may be most beneficial to improve general well-being. Public Significance Statement The current study examined the effectiveness of different coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic to help anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Avoidance coping was unhelpful and was associated with increased depression and anxiety. The most helpful coping strategy was positive reframing. Positively reframing the negative effects of COVID-19 may help to cope with the pandemic.

Longitudinal evidence indicates that dysphoria linked reactivation of depressive thinking styles-cognitive reactivity-is a significant predictor of depressive relapse in people who have recovered from depression (Segal et al., 2006). Using this as a framework, Canadian researcher Zindel Segal et al. (2002, 2013) developed Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), an eight session, relapse prevention treatment that targets cognitive reactivity via training in mindfulness meditation. In Part 1 of this article, we describe the development and session structure of MBCT, followed by a review of empirical support and mechanisms of MBCT change, and finally a note on dissemination through web-based modalities. In Part 2, we review the work of other Canadian researchers who have contributed to the field of mindfulness as it relates to depression, including a focus on dispositional mindfulness, perinatal depression, oncology, anxiety and related disorders, self-regulation in children and adolescence, and syntheses of mindfulness-based literature. We conclude with a brief discussion of future research required to advance our understanding of psychological skills that support long-term prophylaxis in mood disorders. Public Significance Statement Canadian researchers have contributed substantially to the field of mindfulness as it relates to depression prevention and treatment. In particular, Zindel Segal and colleagues developed Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), which has demonstrated efficacy for the prevention of recurrent depression. Des données longitudinales indiquent que la réactivation des styles de pensée dépressifs liée à la dysphorie-la réactivité cognitive-est un prédicteur important de rechute chez les personnes qui se sont remises d'une dépression (Segal et al., 2006). En utilisant ce cadre, le chercheur canadien Zindel Segal et al. (2002, 2013) a développé la thérapie cognitive basée sur la pleine conscience (MBCT), un traitement de prévention des rechutes en huit séances qui cible la réactivité cognitive grâce à une formation sur la méditation de pleine conscience. Dans la première partie de cet article, nous décrivons le développement et la structure des séances de la MBCT, puis nous examinons le soutien empirique et les mécanismes de changement de la MBCT, et enfin nous commentons la diffusion par le biais de modalités en ligne. Dans la deuxième partie, nous passons en revue les travaux d'autres chercheurs canadiens qui ont contribué au domaine de la pleine conscience en ce qui concerne la dépression, notamment en mettant l'accent sur la pleine conscience dispositionnelle, la dépression périnatale, l'oncologie, l'anxiété et les troubles connexes, l'autorégulation chez les enfants et les adolescents, et les synthèses de la littérature fondée sur la pleine conscience. Nous concluons par une brève discussion sur les recherches futures nécessaires pour faire progresser notre compréhension des compétences psychologiques qui soutiennent la prophylaxie à long terme des troubles de l'humeur.

Perinatal anxiety is a prevalent mental health issue associated with deleterious effects; however, factors that affect treatment outcomes have yet to be identified. We examined predictors of treatment completion and moderators of treatment outcome among individuals receiving six weeks of group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Perinatal Anxiety (CBT-PA) via retrospective chart review. Among 98 women ( Mean age  = 32.36, SD =  4.79; 87% postpartum), pregnancy (versus postpartum), comorbid depression, and greater pre-treatment anxiety symptoms, as measured by the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale, were predictive of treatment attrition. Among treatment completers, older maternal age was associated with greater number of sessions completed. Overall, anxiety symptom scores significantly reduced from pre- to post-treatment. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, comorbid depression, and two or more comorbid diagnoses at pre-treatment were each significantly associated with higher overall anxiety scores across both time points. Further, women with versus without health anxiety at pre-treatment showed a greater reduction in anxiety from pre- to post-treatment. These results are important for informing clinicians of factors that may enhance overall treatment completion and effectiveness for perinatal populations.

Depression is the most common mental disorder in pregnancy. An important risk factor in the development of prenatal depression is lifetime history of abuse. The current review quantitatively synthesized research on the association between history of abuse and prenatal depressive symptoms using a meta-analytic technique. A total of 3322 articles were identified through electronic searches of the following databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE Cochrane Collaboration databases between the years of 1980 and 2016. All were independently screened against the following inclusion criteria: articles reporting on original data that included measures of prenatal depression and abuse. Data were extracted by the first and second authors. Descriptive analyses were conducted using Excel version 15.32, and all analyses involving effect sizes were conducted using comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) version 3.0. Seventy articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analyses. Meta-bias detected no publication bias. Abuse had a significant positive relation with prenatal depressive symptoms, with effect sizes in the moderate range for any abuse (r¯\\[ \\overline{r} \\] = 0.287), physical abuse (r¯\\[ \\overline{r} \\] = 0.271), sexual abuse (r¯\\[ \\overline{r} \\] = 0.259), and emotional abuse (r¯\\[ \\overline{r} \\] = 0.340; Cohen 1969. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Academic Press, New York). The meta-analyses found a robust relation between abuse and prenatal depressive symptoms holding across a variety of demographic and study design characteristics. These results reinforce the established association between trauma victimization and subsequent psychopathology, extending current knowledge to specifically address the under-studied area of prenatal depression. These findings highlight the need for women who have survived child or adulthood abuse to receive appropriate referral and psychological treatment to mitigate their risk for prenatal depression.

The original version of the article requires a correction to one of the sentences. Under the section ‘Limitations’, the last sentence ‘Findings of no support for mediation was also deemed important as, for example, our findings suggest..’ should read as below. Also important were where we found no support for moderation of the mediation model; for example, our findings suggest that parenting as a mediator of associations between depression and child functioning is concerning regardless of the ages of the children, for both sons and daughters, and for a broad range of aspects of children’s functioning.