Post-partum depression is the most common complication of pregnancy in developed countries, affecting 10–15% of new mothers (McDonald et al., 2012). PPD can negatively impact a woman's wellbeing, maternal–infant interactions and child developmental outcomes from infancy through school age (Avan et al., 2010). Such conditions may be exacerbated by co-occurring anxiety symptomatology and perinatal stress (Brand, Brennan, 2009; Tambelli, Odorisio, 2013).

Nevertheless, empirical data show incongruent effects of perinatal maternal mental health upon mother-child relationship and the child's health. We believe that maternal representations may contribute to understand such differences.

On such basis, the purpose of our research was to evaluate the influence of maternal representations on emotional availability during a free play interaction in the context of perinatal depression and anxiety comorbidity.

We administered to 120 first time mothers (mean age= 33.57; s.d.=4.82) and their babies (mean age=6.55; s.d.=.63), the following measures: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (Cox, et al., 1987); the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983); the Parent Stress Index – Short Form (Abidin, 1993) and the Maternal Representation Interview at Child's Birth (Tambelli et al., 2006). Finally, all mothers were video recorded during a free-play interaction with their child, assessed according to Emotional Availability Scales (Biringen, 2000).

Results showed significant different quality of maternal representations and mother-child interaction according to presence/absence of depression and/or anxiety.

The study shows the need to acknowledge the woman's emotion-regulation style that needs to be supported in the context of psychological malaise during the perinatal period.