Depression Risk Among Young People Born to Depressed Mothers

Children born to mothers who are depressed during and after pregnancy are more likely to develop depressive symptoms by the age of 24, according to new study led by the University of Bristol. New study Published in the British Journal of Psychiatry looked at survey information of 5,029 individuals for a 14-year period from the ages of 10 to 24 to examine how risks of depression occur across childhood and adolescence.

Using these data, researchers explored the relationship between offspring depressive symptoms and the timing of maternal depression. They also considered the impact of the father’s depression.

The study result shows that children of parents with both antenatal and postnatal depression are at greatest risk of depression themselves, and this risk appears to persist throughout adolescence into early adulthood.

The data was collected from a population that is predominately white and middle class. Further work is needed to look at more populations and contexts such as parenting styles, peer relations and other factors across different cultures.

This study shows that the timing of depression in parents (during pregnancy, after childbirth or both) is an important risk factor for the child's future mental health and so mental health screening for parents should be given priority.

we also need more research to understand what better support for fathers might look like.



Source-Medindia