Parental anxiety and depression have been associated with changes to parent–child interactions. Although play constitutes an important part of parent–child interactions and affords critical developmental opportunities, little is known regarding how parental anxiety and depression are related to parent–child play. This is an important knowledge gap because parents play a crucial role in children’s early play experience. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether levels of maternal anxiety and depression respectively predicted frequencies of pretend play in both mothers and their children, and whether mothers’ engagement in pretend play predicted child behaviour problems two years later. Pretend play in 60 mother-toddler dyads (Mage of child = 29.67 months, SD = 3.25, 41.7% girls) was assessed during home visits. Maternal anxiety and depression were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Children’s behaviour problems were rated by mothers at baseline and two years later. Hierarchical regression analyses examined concurrent associations between mother–child pretend play and maternal anxiety and depression at baseline, and longitudinal associations between baseline mother pretend play and child behavioural problems two years later. Higher maternal anxiety predicted less pretend play in mothers and children (β = − .23, BCa 95% CI: [− .018, − .001]) and β = − .22, BCa 95% CI [− .014, − .001]). Higher maternal depression predicted less child pretend play (β = − .20, BCa 95% CI [− .012, − .001]). There was evidence (albeit weak) that more mother pretend play at baseline predicted fewer child behaviour problems two years later (β = − .18, BCa 95% CI [− 62.38, 11.69]), when baseline child behaviour problems and maternal anxiety were controlled for. Maternal anxiety and depression are associated with less pretend play during mother–child interaction. Mother’s pretend play might help reduce child behavioural problems risks, suggesting that play might be one mechanism by which maternal mental health influences children’s development.

中文翻译：

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产妇焦虑和抑郁及其与母婴的假装游戏：一项纵向观察研究

父母的焦虑和抑郁与亲子互动的变化有关。尽管游戏是父母与孩子互动的重要组成部分，并提供了重要的发展机会，但对于父母的焦虑和抑郁与父母与孩子的游戏如何相关的知之甚少。这是一个重要的知识鸿沟，因为父母在孩子的早期游戏体验中起着至关重要的作用。本研究的目的是检验母亲的焦虑和抑郁水平是否分别预测了母亲及其子女的假装游戏频率，以及母亲是否参与假装游戏预测了两年后的儿童行为问题。在家访中评估了60个假二胞胎的假装游戏（孩子的年龄= 29.67个月，SD = 3.25，女孩占41.7％）。使用自我报告调查表评估产妇的焦虑和抑郁。母亲在基线和两年后对儿童的行为问题进行了评估。分层回归分析检查了基线时母婴假装与母亲焦虑和抑郁之间的同时关联，以及两年后基线母婴假装与儿童行为问题之间的纵向关联。较高的母亲焦虑症预测母亲和儿童的假装游戏较少（β=-.23，BCa 95％CI：[-.018，-.001]）和β=-.22，BCa 95％CI [-.014，- .001]）。较高的母亲抑郁症预测较少的儿童假装游戏（β=-.20，BCa 95％CI [-.012，-.001]）。有证据（尽管很弱）表明，更多的母亲在基线假装玩耍预测两年后儿童行为问题更少（β= − .18，BCa 95％CI [− 62.38，[11.69]），控制基线儿童行为问题和孕产妇焦虑。在母婴互动过程中，母亲的焦虑和抑郁与假装游戏的减少有关。母亲的假装游戏可能有助于减少儿童行为问题的风险，这表明游戏可能是孕产妇心理健康影响儿童发育的一种机制。