Maternal and paternal mental health problems and the risk of offspring depression in late adolescence: findings from the Raine study

Abstract

Background

There are limited studies on the risk of depressive symptoms in adolescent offspring exposed to parental mental health problems in middle childhood.

Aim

We investigated the association between parental mental health problems, particularly paternal emotional problems and maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the risk of depressive symptoms in adolescent offspring aged 17.

Methods

The study included 995 parent-offspring pairs from the 1989–91 birth cohort (the Raine Study) in Western Australia. Log-binomial regression was used to assess the associations.

Results

An increased risk of depression symptoms was observed in the adolescent offspring of mothers with depressive [RR 1.45, 95% CI 1.13–1.86] as well as anxiety symptoms [RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.09–1.87].Compared to those non-exposed, offspring whose mothers reported comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms were more likely to have developed depressive symptoms by late adolescence [RR 1.63, 95%CI 1.11–2.38]. An increased risk of depressive symptoms was also seen in the offspring of fathers with emotional problems [RR 1.29, 95%CI 1.01–1.53].

Conclusion

Our findings suggest an increased risk of depressive symptoms in the adolescent offspring of parents with mental health problems, specifically paternal emotional problems (29%) and maternal anxiety (43%), depression (45%), as well as comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms (63%).

Keywords:

• Mental health problem
• anxiety
• depression
• emotional problem
• parent
• offspring

Acknowledgments

We are sincerely grateful for all the families who took part in this study, as well as the whole Raine Study team including data collectors, cohort managers, data managers, data officers, clerical staff, research scientists, and volunteers. The funders had no further role in the study design, data ion on the collection, analysis, and interpretations of the results. Additionally, the funders have no role in writing the reports and the decision to submit the paper for possible publication.

Author contributions

Study concept, designed, statistical analysis, interpretations of data, and drafted the manuscript: GA. Statistical analyses, interpretations of data, and critical revisions of the manuscript for important intellectual content: KB, RT, AL, and RA. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for long term contribution to funding the Raine study since inception, The Raine Medical Research Foundation, Curtin University, The University of Western Australia, Telethon Kids Institute, Women and Infants Research Foundation, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, and The University of Notre Dame Australia are acknowledged for their support and funding of the core management of the Raine Study. The 17-year follow-up of the Raine Cohort was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Program [grant #353514, Project Grants #1099655, and #1173991]. AL is funded by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship [#1148793]. GA is funded by Curtin Univesity through Curtin International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (CIPRS).