Bidirectional or Unidirectional? Interplay between Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Parenting Stress during the First Year Postpartum

Longitudinal, bidirectional associations between maternal depressive symptoms and parenting stress in the first year postpartum were examined. Findings indicated that maternal depressive symptoms were related to subsequent parenting stress; longitudinal associations from parenting stress to depressive symptoms were not significant. Implications of these findings, and future directions, are discussed.