IMPACT OF PARENTAL POSTNATAL DEPRESSION ON PARENT-INFANT DYADIC SYNCHRONY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS IN A POPULATION OF MOTHERS AND FATHERS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE EPISODE (M.D.E.) OF INCREASING SEVERITY

Introduction: Post-partum depression in both mothers and fathers has been shown to have a
negative influence on parent-baby interactions.
However, most studies to date have failed to consider the spectrum of symptom severity of
depressive illness in its impact on dyadic interactions and in particular on parent-baby synchrony. The general aim of the present study is to analyze the increasing impact of maternal and paternal thymia in the postpartum period, divided into 4 levels (absence of depression, mild, moderate and severe depression), on the quality of parent-baby synchrony, and to consequently analyze whether there is a threshold of depressive severity above which therapeutic intervention targeting interactions is recommended for both mothers and fathers. In addition, co-parenting, social support, A.C.E. and the notion of traumatic childbirth will be studied as mediating variables.
Methodology: a sample of 80 postpartum mother-father-infant triads will be recruited and divided according to maternal thymia as follows: 1/4 without depression, 1/4 presenting a mild MDE, 1/4 presenting a moderate MDE and 1/4 a severe MDE (completion of EPDS questionnaire, Hamilton scale and semi-structured clinical interview according to SCID-V).
Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires on marital satisfaction, social support and A.C.E. They were filmed interacting with their babies (Care-Index and Lausanne Trilogue Play).
Conclusions: Preliminary analyses confirm the existence of a threshold of depressive severity
beyond mild depression and below moderate depression, at which dyadic synchrony is severely impacted and requires therapeutic intervention targeting dyadic interactions, in both mothers and fathers.