Predicting school dropout and adolescent sexual behavior in offspring of depressed and nondepressed mothers.
OBJECTIVE
To examine predictors of school dropout and adolescent sexual behavior in offspring of depressed and nondepressed mothers. Possible moderators of the relation between maternal depression and these outcomes also were explored.


METHODS
Participants were 240 mothers and adolescents assessed annually from 6th through 12th grade. Interviews and questionnaires measured the chronicity and severity of the mother's depressive episodes, the mother's educational attainment, socioeconomic status, the presence of a father, the adolescent's IQ, externalizing behaviors, and substance use disorders.


RESULTS
Substance use disorders before ninth grade significantly predicted higher rates of both school dropout and adolescent sexual behavior. Lower levels of mother's educational attainment and higher rates of adolescent's externalizing behaviors in grades 6 through 8 predicted higher school dropout. Higher IQ was associated with a lower likelihood of dropping out among offspring of never or moderately depressed mothers, but not for offspring of chronic/severely depressed mothers. Among offspring of never or moderately depressed mothers, the presence of a male head of household was associated with lower rates of adolescent sexual behavior, but not among offspring of chronically/severely depressed mothers.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings have implications for the development of programs aimed at preventing behavior problems in high-risk adolescents.
Bohon
Cara
C
From the Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
Garber
Judy
J
From the Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.. Electronic address: judy.garber@vanderbilt.edu.
Horowitz
Jason L
JL
From the Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires