According to a Rutgers study, screening both mothers and fathers to detect depression beyond their child’s first birthday in pediatric offices, the current standard practice, could identify families in need of mental health and other critical resources.
Pediatric professionals can play an important role in detecting parental depression. However, current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics only recommend that pediatricians detect maternal depression during the first year of your baby’s life. This is especially important for parents who do not have a regular source of health care, but attend childcare visits. “
Ava Marie Hunt, author and lead student of the study, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University
Hunt is now a medical intern in the Department of Pediatrics at Philadelphia Children’s Hospital
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, examined parental depression or screening for mood disorder in pediatric health centers after a child’s first birthday. Parental depression affects approximately one in five U.S. families. Depressed mothers have a higher risk of having insecure bonds with their children and harsh parental behaviors. In addition, maternal depression has been linked to children’s cognitive, behavioral, and physical health.
In the Rutgers study, researchers reviewed 41 studies representing more than 32,700 parents and caregivers of children over 12 months; on average, studies reported that 25 percent of parents were positive for depressive symptoms. The researchers found that screening programs structured outside the postpartum period in pediatric settings are rare, although many parents detected positive depressive symptoms. According to the study, in many cases, parents who tested positive for depressive symptoms did not receive proper referrals and follow-up.
“While doctors recognize the importance of detecting depression, many feel uncomfortable and don’t get screened,” said lead author Manuel E. Jimenez, assistant professor of pediatrics and family medicine at Robert Rutgers Wood Johnson Medical School.
“Those who do detect depression often rely on observation rather than using validated screening tools and often overlook parents,” added co-author Sallie Porter, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing.
The findings suggest that increased detection of parental depression in a wider age group and in a wider variety of clinical settings has the potential to identify families in need of resources. According to the study, more research is needed to identify best practices for linking parents who are positive for depressive symptoms with services and to establish a follow-up protocol.
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Magazine reference:
Hunt, AM, et al. (2022) Screening for parental depression in pediatric health care settings: a comprehensive review. Pediatrics. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-055804