Depression in moms bad news for their children

William Atkins
Saturday, 18 October 2008 19:43

Science - Health

Specifically, they state, "Either parent having major depression and a mother having major depression were associated with a significantly greater risk for major depression and disruptive behavior disorders in both nonadopted and adopted adolescents."

And, "Paternal depression did not have a main effect on any psychiatric disorder in adolescents and, with one exception (ADHD in adopted adolescents), did not predict significantly greater likelihoods of disorders in either nonadopted or adopted adolescents."

Such a conclusion shows that even when the mother and child do not share any genetic materials the mere fact that the children live and interact with the depressed mother (nurturing, or the “environmental” factor) the risk of depression is much higher in such children.

However, the result of the Tully research shows that a depressed father does not greatly increase the risk of depression in adopted or non-adopted children.

In the October 11, 2008 (page 9) Science News article “Mom can increase her child’s risk of depression via nurture alone,” Dr. Tully states, “There is an environmental liability of maternal depression that cannot be accounted for by genes but that almost certainly interacts with genetic factors to create depression risk in children.”

Tully says that a depressed mom does not parent as well as a non-depressed mother.

Specifically, the researchers found more arguments and conflicts between the depressed mom and her husband than between the non-depressed mother and husband. Such outbursts add to the already depressive environment of a child being raised by a depressed mother. In addition, the study found that children of depressed mothers had fewer friendships among other children outside of the home.

To learn more about depression, please go the National Depression and Maniac-Depressive Assocation (NDMHA). If you have such a problem: Do it for yourself, and do it for your children!