We aim to explore if subclinical post-natal depression (PND) causes offspring oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), a disruptive behavioural disorder.
The historical focus on participants presenting severe cases in psychological research has long distorted our view of mental disorders, ostracising subsyndromal mental health and reducing the scope of care within clinical practice. Therefore, it is crucial to include subclinical PND when looking at its association with child ODD, due to its possible important public health implications in representing the need for reform within the scope of care.
Additionally, PND has been associated with predisposing an individual to reduced maternal bonding, thus, investigating whether subclinical PND also holds such effects is crucial as significant results could indicate the need for greater intervention strengthening early parent-infant interaction. Furthermore, whilst many studies investigating PND and its association to child psychopathology mention the need for greater maternal education as a means of reducing its effect, investigating knowledge, specifically pregnancy-related knowledge as a moderator remains unknown. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify whether the effects of PND on child psychopathology is conditioned to pregnancy-related knowledge, or whether such effects only exist when analysing education more generally.
Although understanding the effects of PND on ODD has important public health implications, due to the nature of the question, it would be unethical and infeasible to use randomisation. As such, observational data is required.
This study aims to contribute to the body of research regarding PND and its generational effect on child psychopathology, specifically ODD, directed at filling the gap within the current literature that often disregards subclinical PND.