Impact of Maternal Depression on Offspring Depression in Emerging Adulthood

Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH)

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.21909
In this podcast, we are joined by social epidemiologist Dr. Rebecca Lacey of the Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London,to talk about her JCPP paper “Testing lifecourse theories characterising associations between maternal depression and offspring depression in emerging adulthood: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children” (doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13699). There is an overview of the paper, methodology, key findings, and implications for practice.
Discussion points include;

• With a sensitive period being defined as a point in time when maternal depression might have more of an impact on the child’s mental health, Becca elaborates on the importance of her paper’s assertion that the sensitive period continues through to adolescence.
• Emerging adulthood depressive symptoms were best explained by the accumulation of exposure to maternal depression, and not the infancy-sensitive period model.
• How findings will translate into practice
• Implications of findings for CAMH professionals and other health professionals.