Children's skin conductance reactivity as a mechanism of risk in the context of parental depressive symptoms.
BACKGROUND
Children's physiological reactivity was examined as a moderator of relations between parental dysphoria and child adjustment problems, addressing gaps in the study of child characteristics as risk processes.


METHODS
One hundred fifty-seven children (86 boys, 71 girls) were assessed twice over a two-year interval. Skin conductance level reactivity (SCLR) to inter-adult argument and problem-solving tasks was observed.


RESULTS
SCLR moderated longitudinal predictions of children's internalizing, externalizing and social adjustment problems, especially for paternal rather than maternal dysphoria. Higher SCLR predicted greater vulnerability to parental depressive symptomatology.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings highlight that individual differences in children's physiological reactivity may relate to risk for adjustment problems in the context of parental depressive symptoms.
Cummings
E Mark
EM
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. Gummings.10@nd.edu
El-Sheikh
Mona
M
Kouros
Chrystyna D
CD
Keller
Peggy S
PS
D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment