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Published on: February 11, 2017

Family relational factors in pediatric depression and asthma: pathways of effect

Beatrice L Wood1, Bruce D Miller, Jungha Lim

  • 1Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo, NY 14222-2006, USA. bwood@buffalo.edu

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|December 1, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Negative family emotional climate worsens child depression, increasing asthma severity. Parent-child relational insecurity partially mediates this link, highlighting family dynamics in pediatric asthma and depression management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Behavioral Medicine
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Childhood depression and asthma are significant public health concerns.
  • Family environment plays a crucial role in the development and exacerbation of pediatric illnesses.
  • Understanding the interplay between family dynamics, mental health, and chronic physical conditions is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test a multilevel biobehavioral family model linking family emotional climate to child depressive symptoms and asthma severity.
  • To examine parent-child relational insecurity as a mediator in this pathway.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 112 children (ages 7-18) with asthma completed self-report measures.
  • Parents provided demographic and family emotional expression data.
  • Asthma severity was objectively assessed using established clinical guidelines and pulmonary function tests.

Main Results:

  • A negative family emotional climate significantly predicted child depressive symptoms (beta =.21, p < .04).
  • Child depressive symptoms were a strong predictor of asthma disease severity (beta =.35, p < .001).
  • Relational insecurity partially mediated the relationship between family climate and child depression, and between child depression and asthma severity.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support a biobehavioral family model for pediatric depression and asthma.
  • Clinical interventions should consider family emotional climate and parent-child relational dynamics.
  • Addressing these family processes is crucial for managing comorbid depression and asthma in children.
Abstract

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