title: Early-onset depression and the emotional and behavioral characteristics of offspring.
abstract: We compared the emotional and behavioral characteristics of offspring of parents with early-onset depression and the offspring of parents with late-onset depression. Forty-three parents who met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) completed the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Report Version (CBCL) for a birth child (n=43, age range 6-17 years). Parents were classified as having either early SD onset (<19 years) or late-onset (> or = 19 years) MDD based on responses gathered during the SCID-P interview. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare the two offspring groups on CBCL clinical and competency scales. Chi-square analyses and unpaired t-tests were used to compare the two parent groups on demographic and clinical features. Offspring of parents with early-onset depression scored significantly higher on the majority of the CBCL clinical scale scores when compared with offspring of parents with late-onset depression, rated as exhibiting higher levels of the characteristics measured: withdrawn, anxious/depressed, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, delinquent behavior, and aggressive behavior. Additionally, this group had a significantly higher total T score (a global measure of psychopathology) and significantly lower social functioning. Children of parents with early-onset depression may be at higher risk for behavioral and emotional problems than offspring of parents with late-onset depression. This finding may be significant in uncovering sources of vulnerability and formulating intervention strategies for offspring of depressed parents.
authors.affiliation: Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. tpetersen@partners.org
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Alpert
authors.forename: George I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Papakostas
authors.forename: Emily M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freed
authors.forename: Megan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fava
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology