title: Impact of maternal mental health status on child mental health treatment outcome.
abstract: This study examined the effect of maternal depression and anxiety on child treatment outcome. Psychiatric assessments were conducted on 180 mother-child pairs when the child entered treatment in a community mental health center and six months later. Children whose mothers were depressed or anxious were significantly more impaired than children of mentally healthy mothers at both time points. Both groups of children improved at approximately the same rate. The findings suggest that early mental health screening of children and their mothers may be important preventive practices. Addressing the mental health needs of mothers and children simultaneously may be an effective method of reducing their mental health problems.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Social Sciences, Division of Social Work, West Virginia University, PO Box 6830, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Carrie.Rishel@mail.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Carrie W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Rishel
authors.forename: Catherine G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Greeno
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: M Katherine
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shear
authors.forename: Holly A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires