Daniel J Pilowsky1, Priya Wickramaratne2, Ernest Poh3, Mariely Hernandez3, Lisa A Batten4, Martine F Flament5, Jonathan W Stewart2, Pierre Blier5, Myrna M Weissman6. 1. Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, USA; Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, USA. Electronic address: dp14@columbia.edu. 2. Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, USA. 3. Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA. 4. University Of Ottawa Institute Of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 5. University Of Ottawa Institute Of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 6. Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, USA; Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Recent findings suggest that remissions of maternal depression are associated with decrease in offspring psychopathology. Little is known about the offspring effects of decrease in paternal depression. METHOD: The offspring of married fathers and married mothers were compared. The analysis was restricted to married parents to control for the confounding effect of single parenthood which was more prevalent among depressed mothers. At baseline all parents met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), and participated in a 3 month randomized controlled trial to treat depression with a 6 month follow-up. Married parents (N=43) and their children aged 7-17 years (N=78) were assessed independently through direct interviews of children and parents at baseline and followed for 9 months. Child assessors were blind to the clinical status of parents and uninvolved in their treatment. RESULTS: At baseline, children of depressed fathers, compared to children of depressed mothers, had significantly fewer psychiatric disorders (11% vs. 37%; p=0.012) and less impairment as measured by the Columbia Impairment Scale (6.5 vs. 11.6; p=0.009). Over time, with treatment of parental depression, the prevalence of most child symptoms decreased among children of depressed mothers, but changed little among children of depressed fathers. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation of the study is the small number of fathers and their offspring included in the study. CONCLUSION: Maternal as compared to paternal depression had a greater impact on children. With treatment of parental depression the differential prevalence of child symptoms by parental gender narrowed over time. The clinical implication is that children may benefit from treatment of their depressed parents.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Recent findings suggest that remissions of maternal depression are associated with decrease in offspring psychopathology. Little is known about the offspring effects of decrease in paternal depression. METHOD: The offspring of married fathers and married mothers were compared. The analysis was restricted to married parents to control for the confounding effect of single parenthood which was more prevalent among depressed mothers. At baseline all parents met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), and participated in a 3 month randomized controlled trial to treat depression with a 6 month follow-up. Married parents (N=43) and their children aged 7-17 years (N=78) were assessed independently through direct interviews of children and parents at baseline and followed for 9 months. Child assessors were blind to the clinical status of parents and uninvolved in their treatment. RESULTS: At baseline, children of depressed fathers, compared to children of depressed mothers, had significantly fewer psychiatric disorders (11% vs. 37%; p=0.012) and less impairment as measured by the Columbia Impairment Scale (6.5 vs. 11.6; p=0.009). Over time, with treatment of parental depression, the prevalence of most child symptoms decreased among children of depressed mothers, but changed little among children of depressed fathers. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation of the study is the small number of fathers and their offspring included in the study. CONCLUSION: Maternal as compared to paternal depression had a greater impact on children. With treatment of parental depression the differential prevalence of child symptoms by parental gender narrowed over time. The clinical implication is that children may benefit from treatment of their depressed parents.
Authors: Ronald C Kessler; Patricia Berglund; Olga Demler; Robert Jin; Doreen Koretz; Kathleen R Merikangas; A John Rush; Ellen E Walters; Philip S Wang Journal: JAMA Date: 2003-06-18 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Daniel J Pilowsky; Priya Wickramaratne; Ardesheer Talati; Min Tang; Carroll W Hughes; Judy Garber; Erin Malloy; Cheryl King; Gabrielle Cerda; A Bela Sood; Jonathan E Alpert; Madhukar H Trivedi; Maurizio Fava; A John Rush; Stephen Wisniewski; Myrna M Weissman Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2008-06-16 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Su-Chin Serene Olin; Bonnie Kerker; Ruth E K Stein; Dara Weiss; Emma D Whitmyre; Kimberly Hoagwood; Sarah M Horwitz Journal: J Womens Health (Larchmt) Date: 2015-11-18 Impact factor: 2.681
Authors: Marianne H Tichovolsky; Shayl F Griffith; Benjamin Rolon-Arroyo; David H Arnold; Elizabeth A Harvey Journal: J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol Date: 2016-09-21
Authors: Bonnie D Kerker; Amy Storfer-Isser; Ruth E K Stein; Andrew Garner; Moira Szilagyi; Karen G OʼConnor; Kimberly E Hoagwood; Sarah McCue Horwitz Journal: J Dev Behav Pediatr Date: 2016 Feb-Mar Impact factor: 2.225
Authors: Sarah M Clinton; Elizabeth A Shupe; Matthew E Glover; Keaton A Unroe; Chelsea R McCoy; Joshua L Cohen; Ilan A Kerman Journal: Eur J Neurosci Date: 2021-03-24 Impact factor: 3.698