Onset of Major Depressive Disorder Among Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 199051
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2003 Pages: 217-224
• Author(s): John P. Hoffman Ph.D.; Scott A. Baldwin B.A.; Felicia C. Cerbone M.A.
• Editor(s): Mina K. Dulcan M.D.
• Date Published: February 2003
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA05617
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the influence of parental mental health on adolescent mental health.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to identify the association between parental affective disorders and psychoactive substance use disorders and the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) among adolescents and young adults and to determine whether this association is affected by stressful life events, family cohesion, self-esteem, or gender. The methodology used was a prospective cohort study of 804 adolescents, 11- to 17-years-old, and their parents, drawn from the St.Paul/Minneapolis area, who were followed for 7 consecutive years. The parental diagnoses were based on Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R administered during the study's screening stage. Diagnoses of MDD and age of onset were based on Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1, administered during the final year of data collection. It was found that of the correlates studied only parental affective disorders, low self-esteem, and gender were significantly related to the onset of MDD. Females were twice as likely as males to experience MDD. The direct association between parental affective disorders and MDD onset was not affected by family cohesion, self-esteem, or stressful life events. It is recommended that more research is needed on the other factors that may affect this association, such as genetic factors or other family- and intrapersonal-based variables. It is recommended that school counselors and clinicians be aware that school behavior problems and substance-related problems may also be present in young people with a history of MDD or clinical depression (CD). Diagnosing and treating these co-occurring problems will greatly aid in treating the primary disorders and improve adaptive functioning for these adolescents. A list of source references is included.