Emotional Problems in Children of Mothers who had Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study

Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder. Maternal depression can adversely impact perinatal outcomes and child development, and can increase mental disorders for children and adolescents. Understanding the impact could lead to opportunities for early intervention and prevention.

We selected 29 mothers attending a tertiary care setting for mental health, who had remitted following a depressive episode, and 35 control mothers. They rated their children's behavior on the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) and temperament measurement schedule (TMS). Using a cross-sectional design, we compared the scores on behavior and temperamental characteristics between the two groups. We also studied if the severity of depression correlated with increased behavioral difficulties and evaluated if there were any differences based on gender or age.

Our results suggest no significant difference in behavior and temperament between the two groups. There was a trend for the children of mothers who had depression to have poor emotionality, higher rhythmicity on TMS, and higher peer relatedness based on SDQ scores. There was no correlation between the severity of depression in the mother and the severity of behavior problems.

The lack of significant differences between the two groups could be related to less severe forms of depression, the remission of depression in the mother, the presence of other supportive family members, or elevated problems in the control arm. Further research in this area with a longitudinal design, including mothers with ongoing symptoms and longer-term follow-up, studying the bidirectional influence, is warranted.