Analysis of Studies on Social Support and Children of Depressed Mothers: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Recognizing the conditions that minimize the impact of maternal depression on children has clinical relevance. The present review aimed to analyze recent empirical studies that have investigated the associations between maternal depression and different social support conditions for school-aged children. We systematically reviewed empirical articles indexed from 2007 to 2014 in the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, LILACS and SciELO. Three keywords were used: maternal depression, social support and child behavior. Twenty-seven articles were included and analyzed. These studies included a broad range of contextual risk factors and social support conditions, and in their predictive models, it was found that less contextual risk and greater parental resources and social support were predictors of fewer problems for the children. The identification of social support sources that attenuate the effect of maternal depression on child outcomes has implications for the development of prevention and intervention programs.