Comment on “Remission of maternal depression and children’s psychopathology.” (original) (raw)
Related papers
American Journal of Psychiatry, 2011
Objective-Maternal major depressive disorder is an established risk factor for child psychopathology. The authors previously reported that 1 year after initiation of treatment for maternal depression, children of mothers whose depression remitted had significantly improved functioning and psychiatric symptoms. This study extends these findings by examining changes in psychiatric symptoms, behavioral problems, and functioning among children of depressed mothers during the first year after the mothers' remission from depression. Method-Children were assessed at baseline and at 3-month intervals with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Children's Global Assessment Scale for 1 year after their mothers' remission or for 2 years if the mothers did not remit. The authors compared children of early remitters (0-3 months; N=36), late remitters (3-12 months; N=28), and nonremitters (N=16). Results-During the postremission year, children of early-remitting mothers showed significant improvement on all outcomes. Externalizing behavioral problems decreased in children of earlyand late-remitting mothers but increased in children of nonremitting mothers. Psychiatric symptoms decreased significantly only in children of mothers who remitted, and functioning improved only in children of early-remitting mothers. Conclusions-Remission of mothers' depression, regardless of its timing, appears to be related to decreases in problem behaviors and symptoms in their children over the year after remission. The favorable effect of mothers' remission on children's functioning was observed only in children of early-remitting mothers. One consistently replicated finding in psychiatry is the increased risk of psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression and anxiety disorders, in the offspring of parents with major depression (1-12). Major depression is likely a complex disorder (13, 14) with environmental stress acting as an episode trigger in vulnerable individuals (15, 16
The effects on children of depressed mothers' remission and relapse over 9 months
Psychological medicine, 2014
The high rate of depression among children of depressed mothers is well known. Suggestions that improvement in maternal acute depression has a positive effect on the child have emerged. However, data on the mechanisms of change have been sparse. The aim was to understand how remission and relapse in the mother might explain the changes in the child's outcome. Participants were 76 depressed mothers who entered into a medication clinical trial for depression and 135 of their eligible offspring ages 7-17 years. The mothers and children were assessed at baseline and periodically over 9 months by independent teams to understand the relationship between changes in children's symptoms and functioning and maternal remission or relapse. The main outcome measures were, for mothers, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and, for children, the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Columbia Impair...
Treatment of depressed mothers of depressed children: Pilot study of feasibility
Depression and Anxiety, 2004
Numerous studies have shown that depression is highly familial and impairing and that a history of depression in a parent is the strongest risk factor for depression in a child. Many of the parents in these studies have never received sustained treatment despite histories of recurrent depression. None of the studies have examined the effects of maternal symptom remission on offspring symptom or functioning. We sought to determine the feasibility of treating depressed mothers who brought an offspring for the treatment of depression and to examine the relationship between improved maternal depression and symptomatic improvement and social functioning in their offspring. Nine mothers bringing their offspring for treatment of depression, and who were evaluated and found to be currently depressed, completed a 12-week open trial of interpersonal psychotherapy. Mothers and their depressed offspring were assessed by independent evaluators at weeks 0, 6, and 12 for depressive symptomatology and social functioning. Although the rates of depression were high among the mothers, few eligible mothers agreed to participate. Of the 12 who entered treatment, 9 (75%) completed it. Mothers and offspring improved with regard to depressive symptomatology and global functioning over the course of the trial. Improvement in maternal depression was significantly associated with improvement in offspring functioning but not symptom reduction. Improvement of maternal depression may be associated with improved outcomes in depressed offspring. However, it is difficult to engage depressed mothers in treatment for themselves if they come to the clinic to bring their child for treatment of depression. It may be more feasible to study the effect of improved maternal depression on offspring by sampling depressed mothers coming for their own treatment and then assessing their children over the course of maternal treatment.
Treatment of Maternal Depression in a Medication Clinical Trial and Its Effect on Children
The American journal of psychiatry, 2015
Objective: Observational studies show that when a depressed mother's symptoms remit, her children's psychiatric symptoms decrease. Using randomized treatment assignment, the authors sought to determine the differential effects of a depressed mother's treatment on her child. Method: The study was a randomized double-blind 12-week trial of escitalopram, bupropion, or the combination of the two in depressed mothers (N=76), with independent assessment of their children (N=135; ages 7-17 years). Results: There were no significant treatment differences in mothers' depressive symptoms or remission.…
The Effect of Maternal Depression on Young Children’s Progress in Treatment
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2014
This study examined the effect of maternal depression on the functioning of young, primarily Latino children (birth to 5) in an inner-city mental health treatment program designed for children involved or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system. Children and their mothers were evaluated at entry into the program and at 6-month intervals while in treatment. Maternal depression, child behavior problems, and child development were all measured. At entry into the program, children (n = 194) whose mothers were depressed had higher levels of behavior problems and poorer development. Boys had more problems than girls. A growth curve model of those with more than one measurement point (n = 147) found that although all children improved with treatment, children whose mothers were depressed improved more slowly than children whose mothers were not depressed. Findings support the negative impact of maternal depression on children's progress in treatment. Keywords Maternal depression Á Infant mental health Á Children's mental health Á Latino children Á Latino