1. Early-onset depression and the emotional and behavioral characteristics of offspring.
- Author
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Petersen TJ, Alpert JE, Papakostas GI, Bernstein EM, Freed R, Smith MM, and Fava M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Age of Onset, Anxiety Disorders epidemiology, Anxiety Disorders psychology, Chi-Square Distribution, Child, Child Behavior Disorders diagnosis, Comorbidity, Depressive Disorder, Major diagnosis, Depressive Disorder, Major psychology, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Mood Disorders diagnosis, Mood Disorders psychology, Severity of Illness Index, Somatoform Disorders diagnosis, Somatoform Disorders epidemiology, Anxiety Disorders diagnosis, Child Behavior Disorders epidemiology, Child of Impaired Parents psychology, Child of Impaired Parents statistics & numerical data, Depressive Disorder, Major epidemiology, Juvenile Delinquency statistics & numerical data, Mood Disorders epidemiology
- Abstract
We compared the emotional and behavioral characteristics of offspring of parents with early-onset depression and the offspring of parents with late-onset depression. Forty-three parents who met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) completed the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Report Version (CBCL) for a birth child (n=43, age range 6-17 years). Parents were classified as having either early SD onset (<19 years) or late-onset (> or = 19 years) MDD based on responses gathered during the SCID-P interview. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare the two offspring groups on CBCL clinical and competency scales. Chi-square analyses and unpaired t-tests were used to compare the two parent groups on demographic and clinical features. Offspring of parents with early-onset depression scored significantly higher on the majority of the CBCL clinical scale scores when compared with offspring of parents with late-onset depression, rated as exhibiting higher levels of the characteristics measured: withdrawn, anxious/depressed, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, delinquent behavior, and aggressive behavior. Additionally, this group had a significantly higher total T score (a global measure of psychopathology) and significantly lower social functioning. Children of parents with early-onset depression may be at higher risk for behavioral and emotional problems than offspring of parents with late-onset depression. This finding may be significant in uncovering sources of vulnerability and formulating intervention strategies for offspring of depressed parents., (Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)
- Published
- 2003
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