Maternal postnatal depression and sensitive parenting: Considering developmental timing with a causally informative approach.

Models of intergenerational transmission of depression implicate lower sensitive parenting as a key mechanism linking maternal depressive symptoms and offspring outcomes. A well-developed literature demonstrates consistent, modest, negative associations between maternal depressive symptoms and sensitive parenting. However, this literature relies primarily on methods ill-suited to examine developmental timing or account for confounding with time-varying exposures. To address these limitations, we implemented marginal structural models, an approach developed to test timing effects and address confounding for time-varying exposures. Specifically, we used prospective longitudinal data from a sample of families from low-income, rural U.S. contexts (Family Life Project; N = 1,275; 59% White, 41% Black; 31% living below the federal poverty level) to test chronicity and timing effects of maternal depressive symptoms during infancy on sensitive parenting at 35 postnatal months. Unadjusted models suggested that, compared with stable lower postnatal symptoms, chronically higher (d = -.29, p = .001), early only (d = -.21, p = .009), and later only (d = -.26, p = .004) symptoms were all associated with less sensitive parenting, consistent with the existing literature. However, these differences were attenuated (ds ≤ -.14) and nonsignificant (ps ≥ .396) after adjusting for confounding. Results suggest the statistical association between maternal depression and sensitive parenting may be explained by confounding and highlight the importance of considering additional intervention targets that co-occur with maternal depression and may drive reductions in sensitive parenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).