title: Psychopathology and functioning among children of treated depressed fathers and mothers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent findings suggest that remissions of maternal depression are associated with decrease in offspring psychopathology. Little is known about the offspring effects of decrease in paternal depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The offspring of married fathers and married mothers were compared. The analysis was restricted to married parents to control for the confounding effect of single parenthood which was more prevalent among depressed mothers. At baseline all parents met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), and participated in a 3 month randomized controlled trial to treat depression with a 6 month follow-up. Married parents (N=43) and their children aged 7-17 years (N=78) were assessed independently through direct interviews of children and parents at baseline and followed for 9 months. Child assessors were blind to the clinical status of parents and uninvolved in their treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, children of depressed fathers, compared to children of depressed mothers, had significantly fewer psychiatric disorders (11% vs. 37%; p=0.012) and less impairment as measured by the Columbia Impairment Scale (6.5 vs. 11.6; p=0.009). Over time, with treatment of parental depression, the prevalence of most child symptoms decreased among children of depressed mothers, but changed little among children of depressed fathers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main limitation of the study is the small number of fathers and their offspring included in the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal as compared to paternal depression had a greater impact on children. With treatment of parental depression the differential prevalence of child symptoms by parental gender narrowed over time. The clinical implication is that children may benefit from treatment of their depressed parents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, USA; Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, USA. Electronic address: dp14@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pilowsky
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, USA.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wickramaratne
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA.
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poh
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA.
authors.forename: Mariely
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.affiliation: University Of Ottawa Institute Of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Batten
authors.affiliation: University Of Ottawa Institute Of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Martine F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Flament
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: University Of Ottawa Institute Of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blier
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, USA; Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, USA.
authors.forename: Myrna M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Weissman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011599:Psychopathology
keywords: Children of depressed parents; Depressed fathers; Depressed mothers; Major depressive disorder