Child asthma and change in elevated depressive symptoms among mothers of children of a birth cohort from Quebec

The Chronicity of Depressive Symptoms in Mothers of Children With Asthma

Depression can disproportionately affect low-income women. The purpose of this study was to explore the chronicity of depressive symptoms in a sample of 276 low-income inner-city mothers of children with high-risk asthma. The aims were to identify factors (asthma health status, stress, social support) associated with change in depressive symptomatology over 12 months as well as to ascertain what factors are most consistently associated with depressive symptoms. Using latent growth curve analysis, demographic variables, asthma severity, stress, and social support failed to explain changes in depressive symptomatology. The growth curve models, however, were predictive of Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) scores at distinct time points indicating that higher daily stress and lower social support were associated with increased depressive symptoms. Our data highlight the chronic nature of depressive symptoms in low-income mothers of children with poorly controlled asthma. Integrating questions about caregiver psychological state across all clinical encounters with the family may be indicated.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Anxious and Depressive Symptoms in Caregivers of Children With Asthma

OBJECTIVE

To provide a review of the literature comparing anxious and depressive symptoms in caregivers of children with asthma with caregivers of healthy children.

METHOD

A systematic search identified 25 studies from 17 articles, reporting outcomes on 4,300 caregivers of children with asthma and 25,064 caregivers of healthy children.

RESULTS

Overall, anxious (d = 0.50) and depressive symptoms (d = 0.44) were higher in caregivers of children with asthma compared with caregivers of healthy children. Age, site of recruitment, and whether the asthma diagnosis was medically confirmed were included as potential moderators. The relationship between parental psychopathology and asthma was stronger in those with medically confirmed asthma and participants recruited from clinical settings. Other moderators were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Caregivers of children with asthma appear to have greater anxious and depressive symptoms than caregivers of healthy children, but the reasons are unclear. More research that investigates modifiable factors that may moderate this association is urgently needed.