Observations of interactions of depressed women with their children.

Dysfunctional interactions between mothers with major affective disorders and their children may contribute to the children's high risk of disorder. This study investigated the behavior of mothers with recurrent unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, or chronic medical illness and of normal subjects toward their children during a directly observed conflict discussion task. In addition, lifetime history of depression, current mood, and chronic stress were investigated as predictors of maternal interaction. Unipolar depressed women displayed relatively more negative, less positive, and less task-focused behaviour toward their children. Current mood and chronic stress, more than psychiatric history, contributed to the prediction of interaction style.