Mechanisms of Risk in Children of Depressed Mothers

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Description (provided by applicant): Although the link between maternal and child depression is well established, little is known about the mechanism by which this risk is conferred. The proposed study is designed to address this gap by evaluating an etiological model linking maternal and child depression. In so doing, we will seek to integrate and extend findings from two separate lines of research - the expressed emotion and cognitive vulnerability to depression literatures. The proposed study involves the cross-sectional assessment of mothers and their children (ages 8-12 years). Two groups of mothers will be recruited for the study: (a) those with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) during their child's life and (b) those with no lifetime history of any DSM-IV Axis I disorder. In testing our model, we hypothesize that mothers' levels of expressed emotion-criticism toward their children, as well as children's negative cognitive styles, will mediate the link between maternal diagnostic status (depressed versus nonclinical control) and children's symptoms and diagnoses of depression. A secondary goal of the proposed study is to examine the specificity of the links in the mediational model to children's depression versus other disorders (e.g., anxiety and disruptive behavior disorders).