The Role of Maternal Mental Health in Early Development: Evidence from High Altitude Peru

The study examined the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and early child development in the Cajamarca region of Peru. The research included 769 mother-child pairs, with maternal depressive symptoms assessed using the DASS-21 scale when children were approximately 5 months old. Child development was measured in infancy using the CREDI test and in toddlerhood (mean age 28.7 months) using the GSED Long Form. Approximately 17.4% of mothers reported depressive symptoms. However, the study found that maternal depressive symptoms were not associated with child development outcomes in either infancy or toddlerhood. Child stimulation activities emerged as the strongest independent factor associated with child development. The findings suggest that the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and early child development in this rural Andean context may be more complex than previously assumed.