The relationship between parental depressive symptoms and offspring psychopathology: evidence from a children-of-twins study and an adoption study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Parental depressive symptoms are associated with emotional and behavioural problems in offspring. However, genetically informative studies are needed to distinguish potential causal effects from genetic confounds, and longitudinal studies are required to distinguish parent-to-child effects from child-to-parent effects.

Method

We conducted cross-sectional analyses on a sample of Swedish twins and their adolescent offspring (n = 876 twin families), and longitudinal analyses on a US sample of children adopted at birth, their adoptive parents, and their birth mothers (n = 361 adoptive families). Depressive symptoms were measured in parents, and externalizing and internalizing problems measured in offspring. Structural equation models were fitted to the data.

Result

SUBMITTER: McAdams TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4523449 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature