Patterns of Adolescent Depression to Age 20: The Role of Maternal Depression and Youth Interpersonal Dysfunction

Abstract

Considerable research has focused on youth depression, but further information is needed to characterize different patterns of onset and recurrence during adolescence. Four outcome groups by age 20 were defined (early onset-recurrent, early-onset-desisting, later-onset, never depressed) and compared on three variables predictive of youth depression: gender, maternal depression, and interpersonal functioning. Further, it was hypothesized that the association between maternal depression and youth depression between 15 and 20 is mediated by early-onset depression and interpersonal dysfunction by age 15. Eight hundred sixteen community youth selected for depression risk by history (or absence) of maternal depression were interviewed at age 15, and 699 were included in the 5-year follow-up. Controlling for gender, early onset and interpersonal dysfunction mediated the link between maternal depression and late adolescent major depression. Different patterns for males and females were observed. For males maternal depression's effect was mediated by early onset but not interpersonal difficulties, while for females maternal depression's effect was mediated by interpersonal difficulties but not early onset. Maternal depression did not predict first onset of major depression after age 15. The results suggest the need for targeting the impact of maternal depression's gender-specific effects on early youth outcomes, and also highlight the different patterns of major depression in youth and their likely implications for future course of depression.

Appraisals of Stressful Life Events as a Genetically-Linked Mechanism in the Stress–Depression Relationship

“…Maternal depression up to youth age 15 was covaried in all analyses because it is a strong predictor of youth depression outcomes and new onsets of youth depression after age 15 are rarely associated with history of maternal depression by youth age 15 in the current sample (Hammen et al 2008). Youth current depression diagnoses were also ascertained using the SCID at the age 20 follow up.…”

“…Intraclass correlations based on ratings of independent interviewers ranged from 0.76 to 0.82. Validity data for the Chronic Stress Interview has been reported elsewhere (Hammen et al 2008). The sum of chronic stress scores over the 1 year period prior to the age 20 interview was controlled statistically in all analyses to account for its potentially confounding effects on stress appraisals and depression outcomes.…”

The complex neurobiology of resilient functioning after child maltreatment

“…impaired learning, working memory, verbal fluency and cognitive flexibility) (Andrea Danese, Pariante, Caspi, Taylor, & Poulton, 2007;Egeland, 2009;Gibb & Alloy, 2006;Hart, Binggeli, Brassard, Bingelli, & Brassard, 1997;Majer, Nater, Lin, Capuron, & Reeves, 2010;Nanni, Uher, & Danese, 2012;Savitz, van der Merwe, Stein, Solms, & Ramesar, 2008;Shaffer, Yates, & Egeland, 2009;Trickett, Mennen, Kim, & Sang, 2009;Wright, Crawford, & Del Castillo, 2009;Yates & Wekerle, 2009). Finally, CM is a strong predictor for mental health disorders (Agnew-Blais & Danese, 2016;Hammen, Brennan, & Keenan-Miller, 2008;Hart et al, 1997;Hawker & Boulton, 2000;Iffland et al, 2012;McGregor et al, 2016;Mullen, Martin, Anderson, Romans, & Herbison, 1996;Spinhoven et al, 2010;Vachon, Krueger, Rogosch, & Cicchetti, 2015;Wright et al, 2009). …”

Childhood Depression As Emerging Public Health Problem: A Systematic Review

“…Interpersonal dysfunction has also been linked to the course of depression, such that levels of social support and interpersonal impairment predict depression severity, rate of recovery from a depressive episode, and depression recurrence [200][201][202]. Regular observation of child development is a good basis for judgment of the problems presented the child: as normal, or as a state or behavior that may require treatment.…”