Many parents find early childhood both deeply rewarding and extremely challenging.
While society often emphasizes the joys of motherhood, the pressures and stress that accompany parenting can sometimes have unrecognized consequences, affecting both the caregiver and the child.
Now, new research sheds light on how a specific type of maternal stress – related directly to parenting responsibilities – may influence a child’s early language development.
A new study by María Francisca Morales, Marigen Narea, and Pamela Soto-Ramírez, published in Clinical Psychological Science, explores this critical issue within the Chilean context.
The research identifies parenting-related distress, rather than general maternal depressive symptoms, as having a significant, indirect influence on children’s expressive language skills by age three.
Maternal mental health problems have long been a concern globally, with postpartum depression frequently highlighted due to its widespread occurrence and potential negative effects on child development.
Maternal depression can manifest as sadness, low motivation, and reduced engagement with daily activities.
However, parenting-related distress is distinct, characterized by feelings of stress specifically tied to the responsibilities and demands of caregiving.
The researchers drew on data from the Mil Primeros Días (First Thousand Days) study, a comprehensive longitudinal investigation involving 940 Chilean families.
Participants, who were mainly economically disadvantaged, provided detailed information about their mental health, and mother-child interactions were carefully observed and recorded when the infants were approximately 13 months old.
The children’s cognitive and language abilities were assessed at age three.
Surprisingly, the researchers found no significant links between maternal depressive symptoms and children’s developmental outcomes.
This was in contrast to previous research from wealthier nations, where maternal depression often correlates negatively with cognitive and language development.
Instead, parenting-related distress emerged as a crucial factor.
High levels of maternal distress directly related to parenting demands were associated with reduced cognitive stimulation in the home, fewer sensitive maternal responses to infants’ cues, and increased maternal intrusiveness – defined as overly controlling or adult-centered interactions.
The cumulative effect of these parenting behaviors was significant.
Specifically, higher parenting-related distress was indirectly linked to lower expressive language abilities in children by age three.
Expressive language includes the skills involved in producing speech, such as vocabulary and sentence formation.
The study did not find the same negative impacts on cognitive development or receptive language, which involves understanding spoken language.
These findings have profound implications.
Expressive language is critical for effective communication and social development. Delays in this area can impact educational attainment and social integration later in life.
Moreover, the study suggests that general depressive symptoms may not universally affect child development as previously thought; instead, context-specific stressors related to parenting might be more influential.
The context in Chile may partly explain why general depressive symptoms did not significantly affect children’s developmental outcomes.
The high prevalence of maternal mental health issues in Chile, combined with considerable social and economic inequalities, might create an environment where parenting-specific distress, rather than broader depressive symptoms, becomes a more immediate risk factor for children.
Importantly, the findings underscore the necessity of addressing parenting-related distress through targeted policies and support programs.
In Chile, maternal health programs often focus on detecting depression while overlooking parenting stress.
Enhancing screenings to include stress directly related to parenting responsibilities could lead to better identification of at-risk families.
Interventions might include parenting workshops designed to improve maternal sensitivity, decrease intrusive behaviors, and increase opportunities for cognitive stimulation within the home.
Overall, the research calls attention to the nuanced ways maternal mental health affects child development. By distinguishing between depressive symptoms and parenting-related stress, the study provides a clearer picture of how to support mothers—and by extension, their children—in the critical early years.
Citation
Morales, M. F., Narea, M., & Soto-Ramírez, P. (2025). Maternal Depression and Parenting-Related Distress: Pathways of Transmission to Early Childhood Development in Chile. Clinical Psychological Science, 21677026251339435. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702625133943
