For a kid who studiously avoids the camera these days, Maya sure does seek it out when I’m trying to photograph Gavin.

If I play my cards right, I even get some pretty decent shots of her that way. Pity I can’t get the photos that I really want — the insane, wearing half her wardrobe and looking like she should have a shopping cart ones. Double-layered jammies will just have to do.

Since I recently completed (okay, read, if not wrote about) the section on social psychology, I’m uber-aware of any tendencies toward self-serving bias. The reasons behind my delaying grad school for a year or so are both within the realm of personal (my fault) and external (circumstantial). The personal issues (major P-ness, perfectionism, etc — to blog about at length later) will still exist whenever I do a program. At least by waiting a bit, I’ll rid myself of some of the external issues (baby clinging at me and refusing to sleep unless held, lack of face-time with real, honest-to-goodness humans), and that will make the personal baggage easier to handle.

Grad school will recommence in a year or so, once Gavin is in some sort of childcare. Until then, I’ll sporadically write and — I hope — keep the critical thinking skills I’ve developed from getting rusty.

I write this, fully admitting that I am a parent, and that my position may be biased. That said, my four-year-old just stormed off to her room and screamed “I’m not going to be your Mommy anymore!” (I know.) My 10-month old has been whining at me as he strains and struggles with trying to break his first teeth and dealing with object permanence and the resulting separation anxiety.

Now that that’s out of the way, let the post begin.

Robin Simon and Ranae Evenson (2005) published research that rocked the popular media: parents are more depressed than the child-free. Newsweek’s “True or False: Having Kids Makes You Happy” (Ali, 2008) takes a humorous, albeit superficial, look at this study, and the pair of articles seemed perfect for this assignment. The problem is, when I read the actual research, the Newsweek article does accurately reflect Simon & Evenson’s study, at least in part. Where the Newsweek article falls short is that it only touches on one finding from an extensive analysis — that parents are, as a whole, slightly more likely to show indicators of depression than non-parents.

The bulk of this project did not actually focus on a comparison of parents and non-parents, but rather on comparisons of depression rates among various types of parents (biological, empty nest, step parents, non-custodial, etc.). That a litany of articles and interviews touched on the one non-central finding strikes me as less of an indicator of the study’s rigor, and more of an indication of one particular researcher’s search for the spotlight. This is especially true considering two pieces of evidence: the sensationalistic (and misleading) press release from the study author’s own office and the contradictory findings in research. The very title of the press release, “Depression May Be Lifelong Parent Trap,” implies a causation finding that the research does not support. Dr. Simon also misinterprets her own published research, speculating on causation where only correlation exists, saying, “Parents have more to worry about than other people do – that’s the bottom line, and that worry does not diminish over time. Parents worry about their kids’ emotional, social, physical and economic well-being. We worry about how they’re getting along in the world” (‘Depression,’ 2006, ¶4). While these comments may or may not hold truth, her research does not address the content that her press release would imply (Simon & Evenson, 2005).

Two pieces of contradictory evidence are also buried within the published study’s notes. Simon and Evenson (2005) pulled and assessed follow-up data from five years after the initial analysis sample, and discovered that those who became parents between the two surveys showed no change in their depression indicator levels. Additionally, comparisons of parents with children under age 6 at home to childless adults of similar demographic/social backgrounds also show no difference in depression levels at all.

Even how the research calculates “depression” seems suspect to me. In describing the study methodology, the authors describe the 12 items *from* the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale included in the data, and cite this instrument’s high construct validity and internal consistency. This is good, in theory. However, in practice, the sample Simon and Evenson used includes only a selection of the instrument, not the entire 20-question instrument. The scoring for the sample is completely different (a scale of 0 to 7 days) than the tested scaling. The questions included in the Simon & Evenson sample also excluded four questions about positive mental health from the CES-D (Radloff, 1977) and did not include other survey questions that also relate to mental health (‘Well-being,’ 1987).

With my history of depression, I was fully open to the idea that I might, as a parent, experience more difficulty than my childless peers. Instead, I found myself mulling over many questions about the research findings and the highly-selective way in which the study authors communicated their findings to the media. Additional research that focuses on the parental experience versus childlessness (and that better removes numerous third variables and issues of directionality) could be enlightening. This study does not convince me.

I chose this article and corresponding peer-reviewed study not knowing that I was going to have a [expletive deleted, rhymes with itty-bitty] evening. From my whining (I am fully aware it sounds like that), you might assume that I would agree with the study authors’ findings. Yet, I do not. Yes, my daughter is being a right pill at the moment. But, this is the same kid who, earlier today as I drove in traffic, informed me that “Move it, people!” was not nice, and that I should instead say, “Move faster, cars, please.” And, as I wrote that, she emerged from time out wearing a dress as a wig and singing about how life is like a dream. These are but two of a million examples of my daughter’s upside, which contributes to my personal happiness as a parent. Sure, there are more issues and more questions. There are also more highs and moments of brilliance.

Now, pardon me please, while I go watch the baby giggle and the princess-in-training give me a dose of happiness. According to Dr. Simon, I need it.

References

Ali, Lorraine (2008). True or false: Having kids makes you happy. Newsweek (July 7-14, 2008). Retrieved January 7, 2009 from http://www.newsweek.com/id/143792

‘Depression may be lifelong parent trap’ (2006). Press release from Florida State University. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from http://www.newswise.com/p/articles/view/517861/

Evenson, R., & Simon, R. (2005). Clarifying the relationship between parenthood and depression. Journal of Health & Social Behavior, 46(4), 341-358. Retrieved January 7, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Radloff, L.S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement. 1977; 1; 385. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from Sage Journals Online.

‘SE-2 Well-being, role performance, health, social participation, social support’(1987). Questionnaire design for the 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from ftp://elaine.ssc.wisc.edu/pub/nsfh/nsfh.wp1

As I pulled out, it hit me: Hope Pregnancy Center. Uh-oh. I pulled up, and discovered that the center didn’t open for another half-hour, and annoyingly, their literature was in the (locked) office instead of in the building lobby. Ah, but a woman working there, saw me and rushed to the door to greet me anyway. After trying to pick up the basic literature (and saying “no thanks” to the parenting class info), I explained that no, I wasn’t “in trouble” (so she could put her worried and concerned expression away). I simply had some donation items, but I wanted to understand who they were before I decided whether to give. She tried to have me sit to visit, and I explained that I had my baby in my van, so I didn’t have time.

Yup, it’s a crisis pregnancy center. To their credit, there were no gory pictures or overtly-religious items all around. No, they don’t refer for abortions or birth control (BIG red flag to me — I can understand if they don’t refer for abortions, but birth control? Um, what?). And, no, she insisted, they weren’t judgmental toward people at all — if someone did have an abortion, they offered counseling afterward because “statistics show that abortion causes emotional trauma.”

Me: “Actually, no. Statistics don’t show that.”

Her: (Continue insistently, not cluing in that maybe I’m not the right person to give this speech to).

Me: (twice, before she stopped talking) “Um, I really think I need to leave now.”

Guess I need to keep hunting around. I think it’s wonderful that places exist that will help girls/women with unplanned pregnancies. But, if that place is going to work from a basis of misinformation (despite what their web site says), they’re not getting my donation.

Anyone need a jumper, bouncy seat, and a boppy pillow?

One of my other options for today’s W-U post was “the rise in rates in autism.” I had a topic knocking around in my head about how the Internet has allowed Aspies to create more social connections (including marriage/procreation), but discovered that it’s too touchy of a topic for me to write about it in a non-personal way. Intelligence, especially considering this fresh-off-the-press article about semen, will win the prize. Speaking of, time to get Maya off to school so I can actually work/write.

Little things like this are what I miss the most about being in an online forum for school. I keep seeing things that strike me as funny, ironic, or otherwise related (even if distantly) to the subject matter.

Damn it, I want an audience.

Fucking preference for extroversion…grumble…

Found via We Don’t Buy It, a comic strip explanation of the subprime crisis. Classic. NSFW language, but classic.

Zuzu at Feministe does a fabulous job of explaining why it is harmful to women for people to launch misogynistic attacks on Senator Clinton. Well said. As one commenter on the post also said, I dislike Ann Coulter, but that doesn’t mean I don’t cringe when someone’s argument against her is calling her a “tranny.”

I participate in an online forum related to T-Tapp, and I’ve gotten accustomed (okay, acclimated) to the fairly high percentage of people who somehow think it’s absolutely necessary to wear their religion on their sleeve (in a signature line that is; religion-related posts are verboten). Yesterday, a couple folks on a thread where I’ve participated for a long time got onto politics — specifically singing from the FAUXNoise songsheet. After reading one final post that seemed to imply that the poster had swallowed the “Obama is a Muslim” koolaid (and what if he were? So fucking what?…anyway), I’d had enough and posted a brief request to cease and desist the political talk.

Okay, I wasn’t entirely innocent. I also asked one person to kindly clarify what she’d meant by “the whole ‘Hussein’ thing” (as in, the terrorists will be thrilled if BHO wins…wha???).

Anyway, a moderator posted next, more firmly insisting on NO POLITICAL TALK. She also cleaned up my post (dang, that’s embarrassing, especially since I almost deleted that part myself, duh), along with the one I quoted. She missed the ones on the previous page, but eh…whatever. In response to this verbal spanking, one of the original political-talk people replied thusly:

Allison & (other person who thanked the moderator for stepping in) -
My humble apologies if you have been offended by discussion on this thread of current issues in our country. While I don’t apologize for WHAT I said – I am sorry you and possibly others were offended at the personal opinions that leaked into our thread. I actually had thought during my typing “you know I wonder if we shouldn’t just use personal email for our thoughts on this issue to each other”

To the moderators – my bad…it won’t happen again. Please don’t lock this thread on account of some of us who are passionately opinionated/concerned about the current issues of our times.
As I did say in my last post…enough said.

(emphasis added)

A couple points:

1. Dude, if you’re not actually going to apologize, please don’t pretend. “I apologize for your being a sensitive wussy” is NOT an apology. Just STFU instead, and you’ll come across as having just a leeeeetle bit more integrity.
2. Just because you don’t have the netiquette to realize that posting political views (as if they’re *obviously* what *any* sensible person should believe) on a non-political forum is a rude thing to do, that doesn’t mean you’re the only person who’s passionate about what’s going on in our society. It just means you’re the socially stunted and rude person who cares.

I’d love to flame this person, but you know, I like the FITNESS-RELATED info I get on this forum. She’s not worth it.

I just came home from renting An Inconvenient Truth, so I could FINALLY watch it. I know, it’s sad to be so late to the game, but hey, I have a 2-year-old.

I opened the box, thinking that I’m cool with watching a documentary with Maya over dinner. They. Didn’t. Remove. The. Security. Device.

Grumble. I have a pizza arriving in minutes, so I guess we’ll see this one another time. Instead, I may still watch Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (or whatever it’s called)…but that likely will need to wait until after Maya’s bedtime.