Offspring of parents with recurrent depression: which features of parent depression index risk for offspring psychopathology?

Abstract

Background: Parental depression is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorder in offspring, although outcomes vary. At present relatively little is known about how differences in episode timing, severity, and course of recurrent depression relate to risk in children. The aim of this study was to consider the offspring of parents with recurrent depression and examine whether a recent episode of parental depression indexes risk for offspring psychopathology over and above these other parental depression features.

Methods: Three hundred and thirty seven recurrently depressed parents and their offspring (aged 9-17) were interviewed as part of an ongoing study, the 'Early Prediction of Adolescent Depression Study'. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment was used to assess two child outcomes; presence of a DSM-IV psychiatric disorder and number of DSM-IV child-rated depression symptoms.

Results: Children whose parents had experienced a recent episode of depression reported significantly more depression symptoms, and odds of child psychiatric disorder were doubled relative to children whose parents had not experienced a recent episode of depression. Past severity of parental depression was also significantly associated with child depression symptoms.

Limitations: Statistical analyses preclude causal conclusions pertaining to parental depression influences on offspring psychopathology; several features of parental depression were recalled retrospectively.

Conclusions: This study suggests that particular features of parental depression, specifically past depression severity and presence of a recent episode, may be important indicators of risk for child psychiatric disorder and depressive symptoms.