Centre for Research On Play in Education, Development and Learning, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, 184 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8PQ, UK.
Division of Psychiatry, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
BMC Psychol. 2021 May 7;9(1):70. doi: 10.1186/s40359-021-00568-9.
Parental anxiety and depression have been associated with changes to parent-child interactions. Although play constitutes an important part of parent-child interactions and affords critical developmental opportunities, little is known regarding how parental anxiety and depression are related to parent-child play. This is an important knowledge gap because parents play a crucial role in children's early play experience. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether levels of maternal anxiety and depression respectively predicted frequencies of pretend play in both mothers and their children, and whether mothers' engagement in pretend play predicted child behaviour problems two years later.
Pretend play in 60 mother-toddler dyads (M = 29.67 months, SD = 3.25, 41.7% girls) was assessed during home visits. Maternal anxiety and depression were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Children's behaviour problems were rated by mothers at baseline and two years later. Hierarchical regression analyses examined concurrent associations between mother-child pretend play and maternal anxiety and depression at baseline, and longitudinal associations between baseline mother pretend play and child behavioural problems two years later.
Higher maternal anxiety predicted less pretend play in mothers and children (β = - .23, BCa 95% CI: [- .018, - .001]) and β = - .22, BCa 95% CI [- .014, - .001]). Higher maternal depression predicted less child pretend play (β = - .20, BCa 95% CI [- .012, - .001]). There was evidence (albeit weak) that more mother pretend play at baseline predicted fewer child behaviour problems two years later (β = - .18, BCa 95% CI [- 62.38, 11.69]), when baseline child behaviour problems and maternal anxiety were controlled for.
Maternal anxiety and depression are associated with less pretend play during mother-child interaction. Mother's pretend play might help reduce child behavioural problems risks, suggesting that play might be one mechanism by which maternal mental health influences children's development.
父母的焦虑和抑郁与亲子互动的变化有关。尽管游戏构成了亲子互动的重要组成部分，并提供了关键的发展机会，但对于父母的焦虑和抑郁如何与亲子游戏相关知之甚少。这是一个重要的知识空白，因为父母在孩子的早期游戏体验中起着至关重要的作用。本研究的目的是检验母亲的焦虑和抑郁水平是否分别预测了母亲和孩子假装游戏的频率，以及母亲参与假装游戏是否预测了两年后孩子的行为问题。
在家庭访问中评估了 60 对母婴（M = 29.67 个月，SD = 3.25，41.7%的女孩）的假装游戏。使用自我报告问卷评估母亲的焦虑和抑郁。在基线和两年后，母亲对孩子的行为问题进行评分。层次回归分析检验了基线时母子假装游戏与母亲焦虑和抑郁的同期关联，以及基线时母亲假装游戏与两年后儿童行为问题的纵向关联。
母亲的焦虑程度越高，母亲和孩子的假装游戏就越少（β = - .23，BCa 95%置信区间：[- .018， - .001]）和 β = - .22，BCa 95%置信区间 [- .014， - .001]）。母亲的抑郁程度越高，孩子的假装游戏就越少（β = - .20，BCa 95%置信区间 [- .012， - .001]）。有证据表明（尽管很微弱），基线时母亲的假装游戏越多，两年后孩子的行为问题就越少（β = - .18，BCa 95%置信区间 [- 62.38，11.69]），当控制基线时儿童的行为问题和母亲的焦虑时。
母亲的焦虑和抑郁与母子互动中的假装游戏较少有关。母亲的假装游戏可能有助于降低儿童行为问题的风险，这表明游戏可能是母亲心理健康影响儿童发展的一种机制。
