title: Maternal depression during pregnancy and offspring depression in adulthood: role of child maltreatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have shown that maternal depression during pregnancy predicts offspring depression in adolescence. Child maltreatment is also a risk factor for depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate (a) whether there is an association between offspring exposure to maternal depression in pregnancy and depression in early adulthood, and (b) whether offspring child maltreatment mediates this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospectively collected data on maternal clinical depression in pregnancy, offspring child maltreatment and offspring adulthood (18-25 years) DSM-IV depression were analysed in 103 mother-offspring dyads of the South London Child Development Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adult offspring exposed to maternal depression in pregnancy were 3.4 times more likely to have a DSM-IV depressive disorder, and 2.4 times more likely to have experienced child maltreatment, compared with non-exposed offspring. Path analysis revealed that offspring experience of child maltreatment mediated the association between exposure to maternal depression in pregnancy and depression in adulthood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal depression in pregnancy is a key vulnerability factor for offspring depression in early adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Dominic T. Plant, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Carmine M. Pariante, MD, FRCPsych, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Deborah Sharp, MA, FRCGP, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK; Susan Pawlby, MA, PhD, CPsychol, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK dominic.plant@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dominic T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Plant
authors.affiliation: Dominic T. Plant, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Carmine M. Pariante, MD, FRCPsych, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Deborah Sharp, MA, FRCGP, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK; Susan Pawlby, MA, PhD, CPsychol, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
authors.forename: Carmine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pariante
authors.affiliation: Dominic T. Plant, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Carmine M. Pariante, MD, FRCPsych, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Deborah Sharp, MA, FRCGP, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK; Susan Pawlby, MA, PhD, CPsychol, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.affiliation: Dominic T. Plant, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Carmine M. Pariante, MD, FRCPsych, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Deborah Sharp, MA, FRCGP, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK; Susan Pawlby, MA, PhD, CPsychol, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pawlby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult