Psychopathology in the Children (Ages 6–18) of Depressed and Normal Parents

Abstract

Data from a pilot family-history study of 194 children (ages 6–18) of probands with major depression compared with the children of normal controls showed children of depressives were at increased risk for psychological symptoms, treatment for emotional problems, school problems, suicidal behavior, and DSM-III diagnoses. The magnitude of the risk was increased 3-fold for any DSM-III diagnosis in the children of depressed probands. Major depression was the most common psychiatric disorder, followed by attention deficit and separation anxiety. The risk to children of major depression and of any DSM-III diagnosis increased linearly if both parents were psychiatrically ill than if only one or neither parent had psychiatric illness. Other significant predictors of risk to children were early onset of the proband's depression, an increased number of the proband's first-degree relatives who were ill with any psychiatric disorder and/or major depression, and if the proband was divorced, separated or widowed. While diagnoses were based on multiple informants and were made by a psychiatrist who was blind to the clinical status of the probands, the absence of direct interviews with the children make these findings preliminary. A direct interview study is under way.