title: Children of depressed mothers 1 year after remission of maternal depression: findings from the STAR*D-Child study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Maternal major depressive disorder is an established risk factor for child psychopathology. The authors previously reported that 1 year after initiation of treatment for maternal depression, children of mothers whose depression remitted had significantly improved functioning and psychiatric symptoms. This study extends these findings by examining changes in psychiatric symptoms, behavioral problems, and functioning among children of depressed mothers during the first year after the mothers' remission from depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children were assessed at baseline and at 3-month intervals with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Children's Global Assessment Scale for 1 year after their mothers' remission or for 2 years if the mothers did not remit. The authors compared children of early remitters (0-3 months; N=36), late remitters (3-12 months; N=28), and nonremitters (N=16).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the postremission year, children of early-remitting mothers showed significant improvement on all outcomes. Externalizing behavioral problems decreased in children of early- and late-remitting mothers but increased in children of nonremitting mothers. Psychiatric symptoms decreased significantly only in children of mothers who remitted, and functioning improved only in children of early-remitting mothers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Remission of mothers' depression, regardless of its timing, appears to be related to decreases in problem behaviors and symptoms in their children over the year after remission. The favorable effect of mothers' remission on children's functioning was observed only in children of early-remitting mothers.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wickramaratne
authors.forename: Marc J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gameroff
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pilowsky
authors.forename: Carroll W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garber
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malloy
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cerda
authors.forename: A Bela
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Alpert
authors.forename: Madhukar H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wisniewski
authors.forename: Myrna M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Weissman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome