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Withdrawal behavior and depression in infancy

Antoine Guedeney1

  • 1Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP/HP Paris.

Infant Mental Health Journal
|June 23, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Infant depression is complex, with diagnosis challenging before 18-24 months. Relational withdrawal may be a more applicable concept for younger infants, considering developmental psychopathology.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Infant Mental Health
  • Psychopathology

Background:

  • The concept of infant depression is foundational to infant mental health.
  • Current diagnostic criteria yield inconsistent prevalence rates and may be unrealistic.
  • The onset, outcome, and specific features of infant depression remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the history, classification, and diagnosis of infant depression.
  • To explore potential developmental timelines and etiological factors.
  • To propose alternative conceptualizations for early infancy.

Main Methods:

  • Historical review of infant depression concepts.
  • Analysis of diagnostic criteria and their limitations.
  • Exploration of developmental psychopathology principles.
  • Consideration of attachment theory and learned helplessness.

Main Results:

  • Infant depression likely requires significant emotional and cognitive development, emerging around 18-24 months.
  • Attachment disorganization may be a precursor to depression.
  • Developmental psychopathology favors a dimensional, multi-factorial view over categorical diagnoses.
  • Relational withdrawal is suggested as a more suitable concept for infants under 18-24 months.

Conclusions:

  • Diagnostic challenges persist in identifying infant depression.
  • A developmental perspective suggests depression may not manifest before 18-24 months.
  • Relational withdrawal offers a useful alternative framework for understanding early infant distress.

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