Children aged 10-17 of endogenous unipolar depressive parents and of normal parents. I. Psychopathology rate and relationship of the severity of the psychopathology to familial and environmental variables.

Seventy two children aged 10-17 of 42 endogenous unipolar depressive parents (proband children) and 72 children aged 10-17 of 66 normal parental couples (control children) were studied. Overall rate of psychopathology (disorders present at the time of investigation and one year before) reached 51% in proband children and 29% in control children. Depressive disorder rate reached 10% in proband children and 4% in control children. The sex of the depressive parent did not influence the psychopathology rate in offspring, while the early age of onset of the illness (under 30 years) in parent increased the psychopathology risk in children. The severity of the psychopathology in children defined as functional impairment was significantly dependent on the severity of the depressive illness in proband parent, the presence of psychopathology in the spouse of the depressive parent, the presence of psychopathology in the relatives of both parents, the socio-cultural level of the family and the violence expressed in the familial atmosphere.