title: Depression in children and adolescents two months after the death of a parent.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined depressive symptoms in bereaved children and adolescents two months after the death of a parent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 325 children and adolescents bereaved of a parent approximately two months prior to the study. They were compared to 129 non-bereaved community controls and 110 non-bereaved depressed controls. Participants and their parents were interviewed regarding the child's depressive symptoms. Possible moderating factors for depression in bereaved children were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  25% of the bereaved participants experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) compared to 1% of the community controls. An additional 24% of the bereaved participants experienced a sub-syndromal depressive episode, defined as 3 or 4 depressive symptoms, compared to 4% of the community controls. Factors correlated with occurrence of MDE in the bereaved children in exploratory analyses were (1) history of MDE in the child and (2) history of alcoholism in a parent. Guilt/worthlessness, psychomotor disturbance, and low energy in the context of an MDE predicted membership in the depressed control group over the bereaved group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between an MDE in the bereaved child and parent history of alcoholism is exploratory, as the p-value for this correlation was greater than the α adjusted for multiple comparisons. The bereaved child's history of MDE was based on the child's and parent's memories of depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The death of a parent is a risk factor for depressive symptoms and depressive episodes in children and adolescents two months after the death.
authors: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Laurie.Gray@uphs.upenn.edu
authors: Laurie B
authors: LB
authors: Gray
authors: Ronald A
authors: RA
authors: Weller
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Fristad
authors: Elizabeth B
authors: EB
authors: Weller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001601:Bereavement; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors