Current parental depression and offspring perceived self-competence: a quasi-experimental examination.
A genetically-informed, quasi-experimental design was used to examine the genetic and environmental processes underlying associations between current parental depressive symptoms and offspring perceived self-competence. Participants, drawn from a population-based Swedish sample, were 852 twin pairs and their male (52 %) and female offspring aged 15.7 ± 2.4 years. Parental depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Offspring perceived self-competence was measured using a modified Harter Perceived Competence Scale. Cousin comparisons and Children of Twins designs suggested that associations between maternal depressive symptoms and offspring perceived self-competence were due to shared genetic/environmental liability. The mechanism responsible for father-offspring associations, however, was independent of genetic factors and of extended family environmental factors, supporting a causal inference. Thus, mothers and fathers may impact offspring perceived self-competence via different mechanisms and unmeasured genetic and environmental selection factors must be considered when studying the intergenerational transmission of cognitive vulnerabilities for depression.
Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. qaclass@indiana.edu
Quetzal A
QA
Class
Brian M
BM
D'Onofrio
Amber L
AL
Singh
Jody M
JM
Ganiban
E L
EL
Spotts
Paul
P
Lichtenstein
David
D
Reiss
Jenae M
JM
Neiderhiser
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic; D055815:Young Adult