Abstract
This study aims to examine whether (a) low child valence (emotional connectedness) within the mother–child relationship increases the risk for offspring depression, (b) low child potency (individual autonomy) increases the risk for offspring anxiety, and (c) maternal psychopathology pronounces these associations. We used data from a prospective-longitudinal study of adolescents (aged 14–17 at baseline) and their mothers (N = 1,015 mother–child dyads). Anxiety disorders and depression were assessed repeatedly over 10 years in adolescents (T0, T1, T2, T3) and their mothers (T1, T3) using the DSM-IV/M-CIDI. Valence and potency were assessed in mothers (T1) with the Subjective Family Image Questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) from logistic regression were used to estimate associations between low child valence/potency and offspring psychopathology (cumulated lifetime incidences; adjusted for sex and age). In separate models (low valence or low potency as predictor), low child valence predicted offspring depression only (OR = 1.26 per SD), while low child potency predicted offspring anxiety (OR = 1.24) and depression (OR = 1.24). In multiple models (low valence and low potency as predictors), low child valence predicted offspring depression only (OR = 1.19), while low child potency predicted offspring anxiety only (OR = 1.22). Low child potency interacted with maternal anxiety on predicting offspring depression (OR = 1.49), i.e. low child potency predicted offspring depression only in the presence of maternal anxiety (OR = 1.33). These findings suggest that low child valence increases the risk for offspring depression, while low child potency increases the risk for offspring anxiety and depression and interacts with maternal psychopathology on predicting offspring depression.
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Acknowledgments
This work is part of the Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology (EDSP) Study and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) project no. 01EB9405/6, 01EB 9901/6, EB01016200, 01EB0140, and 01EB0440. Part of the field work and analyses were also additionally supported by grants of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) LA1148/1-1, WI2246/1-1, WI 709/7-1, and WI 709/8-1. The first author (Eva Asselmann) was funded by a doctoral stipend of the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes). Principal investigators are Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wittchen and Dr. Roselind Lieb. Core staff members of the EDSP group are: Dr. Kirsten von Sydow, Dr. Gabriele Lachner, Dr. Axel Perkonigg, Dr. Peter Schuster, Dr. Michael Höfler, Dipl.-Psych. Holger Sonntag, Dr. Tanja Brückl, Dipl.-Psych. Elzbieta Garczynski, Dr. Barbara Isensee, Dr. Agnes Nocon, Dr. Chris Nelson, Dipl.-Inf. Hildegard Pfister, Dr. Victoria Reed, Dipl.-Soz. Barbara Spiegel, Dr. Andrea Schreier, Dr. Ursula Wunderlich, Dr. Petra Zimmermann, Dr. Katja Beesdo-Baum, Dr. Antje Bittner, Dr. Silke Behrendt and Dr. Susanne Knappe. Scientific advisors are Dr. Jules Angst (Zurich), Dr. Jürgen Margraf (Basel), Dr. Günther Esser (Potsdam), Dr. Kathleen Merikangas (NIMH, Bethesda), Dr. Ron Kessler (Harvard, Boston) and Dr. Jim van Os (Maastricht).
Conflict of interest
Dr. Wittchen reports the following items that might be perceived as a potential conflict of interest: Dr. Wittchen is on the advisory board and has received grant support to his institution by Servier, Novartis, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Hoffmann La Roche. All other authors declare to have no financial relationships that might be perceived as conflict of interest.
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Asselmann, E., Wittchen, HU., Lieb, R. et al. The role of the mother–child relationship for anxiety disorders and depression: results from a prospective-longitudinal study in adolescents and their mothers. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 24, 451–461 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0596-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0596-x