MATERNAL DEPRESSION & TEENAGERS: Although there is a fairly good body of evidence suggesting that maternal depression is associated with depression in the child, there is a lot less about how maternal depression might influence adolescent behaviour. Teens exposed to recurrent maternal depression in childhood also engaged in more nonviolent risky behaviours than those whose mothers had low or no depression. The results dont prove that the mothers symptoms caused the childrens behaviour. But, the authors write, middle childhood is a period of increasing cognitive, social and emotional development. Its when kids begin school, refine their language skills and increasingly engage in social peer relationships. Being exposed to a mothers depressive symptoms and negative parenting behaviours may harm the childs own development during this sensitive time and lead to lasting deficits, they speculate.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 22:47:10 +0000