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. 2015 Oct;56(10):1092-100.
doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12395. Epub 2015 Feb 9.

Pathways from maternal depressive symptoms to adolescent depressive symptoms: the unique contribution of irritability symptoms

Yvonne M Whelan  1 , Ellen Leibenluft  2 , Argyris Stringaris  3 , Edward D Barker  4
Affiliations

Pathways from maternal depressive symptoms to adolescent depressive symptoms: the unique contribution of irritability symptoms

Yvonne M Whelan et al. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015 Oct.

Abstract

Background: The authors tested three possible pathways linking prenatal maternal depressive symptoms to adolescent depressive symptoms. These pathways went through childhood Irritability Symptoms, Anxiety/Depressive Symptoms or Conduct Problems.

Method: Data were collected from 3,963 mother-child pairs participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Measures include maternal depressive symptoms (pre- and postnatal); toddler temperament (2 years); childhood (7-13 years) irritability symptoms, anxiety/depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and adolescent depressive symptoms (16 years).

Results: Irritability Symptoms: This pathway linked sequentially - prenatal maternal depressive symptoms, toddler temperament (high perceived intensity and low perceived adaptability), childhood irritability symptoms, and adolescent depressive symptoms. Anxiety/Depressive symptoms: This pathway linked sequentially - prenatal maternal depressive symptoms, toddler temperament (negative perceived mood), childhood anxiety/depressive symptoms, and adolescent depressive symptoms. Childhood conduct problems were not associated with adolescent depressive symptoms, above and beyond irritability symptoms and anxiety/depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Results suggest evidence for two distinct developmental pathways to adolescent depressive symptoms that involve specific early and midchildhood features.

Keywords: Psychopathology; depression; development; mother-child relationships; oppositional defiant disorder.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multivariate Autoregressive cross‐lagged model of longitudinal relationships between maternal depressive symptoms, early toddler temperament, irritability symptoms, anxiety/depressive symptoms, and an outcome of adolescent depressive symptoms. Multivariate Autoregressive cross‐lagged model; * = p < .05; Matdep prenatal = Prenatal maternal depressive symptoms; Matdep postnatal = Postnatal maternal depressive symptoms; Mood = Negative perceived mood; Adapt = Low perceived adaptability; Intens = High perceived intensity; Irrit = Irritability symptoms at 8,10 and 13 years collapsed; A/D = Anxiety/depressive symptoms at 7,10 and 12 years collapsed; CP = Conduct problems at 7, 10 and 12 years collapsed; and Dep16 =  Adolescent depressive symptoms. In this model, we controlled for risk factors common to irritability, anxiety/depressive symptoms, and conduct problems and associated with noninclusion in this study. The resulting population effect sizes are interpreted using the Cohen (1988) guidelines: an effect of 0.10 is a small effect, an effect of 0.24 is a medium effect, and an effect of 0.37 is a large effect. Significant (*) results only are shown
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