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Familial depression and respiratory illness in children

Renee D Goodwin1, Priya Wickramaratne, Yoko Nomura

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. rdg66@columbia.edu

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|May 9, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children with parents experiencing major depression have a higher risk of developing respiratory illnesses. This link between parental depression and childhood respiratory disease is significant and warrants further investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry and Developmental Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology and Public Health

Background:

  • Parental major depression is a significant mental health concern with potential intergenerational impacts.
  • Understanding the link between parental mental health and offspring physical health is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parental major depression and the prevalence of respiratory illness in youth.
  • To explore potential mediating factors in the relationship between parental depression and childhood respiratory conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A three-generation family cohort study involving 161 children, their parents, and grandparents.
  • Assessed lifetime prevalence of respiratory illness in offspring based on parental major depression status.
  • Adjusted for covariates including age, sex, parental prenatal smoking, and functional impairment.

Main Results:

  • Parental major depression was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of respiratory illness in youth (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.6-8.6).
  • The association remained significant after controlling for parental respiratory disease, prenatal smoking, and functional impairment.

Conclusions:

  • Youth with parents suffering from major depression exhibit a heightened vulnerability to respiratory illness.
  • The observed association is not explained by parental respiratory illness, prenatal smoking, or functional impairment, suggesting a distinct pathway.
Abstract

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