Maternal and paternal depression and anxiety and offspring infant negative affectivity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Maternal internalizing symptoms during pregnancy, specifically depression and/or anxiety, are commonly linked to negative affectivity (NA) in infant offspring. These links are commonly attributed to biological effects of the in utero environment on fetal development. However, research suggests that internalizing symptoms before and after pregnancy, as well as in fathers, may also be associated with NA in infant offspring. Such findings suggest greater complexity in transmission than can be explained by biological in utero programming alone. Further, infant NA is often treated as an homogenous construct, yet it covers a range of facets including fear, frustration, sadness, and slow recovery from distress that may each be differentially associated with parent internalizing distress. Here we aimed to (1) meta-analytically quantify associations between maternal and paternal internalizing symptoms and infant offspring NA, (2) examine how associations varied as a function of distinct phenotypic facets of NA, and (3) examine how associations varied by timing of parental symptoms (preconception, antenatal, postnatal) and infant age. Using random-effects meta-analysis, we found that maternal internalizing symptoms were positively associated with infant NA (r = 0.17 [95% CI 0.14, 0.21], 42 studies, 149 estimates). Preliminary evidence from studies of fathers likewise suggested a positive association with infant NA (r = 0.13 [95% CI 0.04, 0.22], 6 studies, 40 estimates). We observed associations with the global infant NA construct, as well as effect modification by infant NA facet (maternal r range .12 to .22; paternal r range .03 to.21). In mothers, there was no evidence of effect modification by timing of internalizing symptoms or infant age; in fathers, preliminary associations were larger for postnatal than antenatal symptoms. Further studies of preconception and paternal symptoms are now needed, and we suggest avenues for research to advance understanding of the relations between parent internalizing symptoms and infant NA.

Reciprocal Influences of Parent and Adolescent Borderline Personality Symptoms Over 3 Years

Leading etiological theories implicate the family environment in shaping borderline personality disorder (BPD). Although a substantive literature explores familial aggregation of this condition, most studies focus on parent influence(s) on offspring symptoms without examining youth symptom influence on the parent. The current study investigated reciprocal relations between parent and adolescent BPD symptoms over time. Participants were 498 dyads composed of urban-living girls and their parents enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study (Pittsburgh Girls Study). The authors examined BPD severity scores assessed yearly when youth were ages 15-17 years in a series of cross-lagged panel models. After controlling for autoregressive effects, a measure of parent-child conflict, and an indicator of socioeconomic status, evidence of parental influence on adolescent symptoms did not emerge. However, adolescent BPD symptoms at age 16 predicted greater parent BPD symptoms at age 17 above the influence of depression. Results highlight the importance of considering the influence of youth BPD on parental symptoms.

Resemblance and clustering of mother’s and father’s psychopathology levels among Chinese parents of schoolchildren with psychiatric disorders

Background Few studies have assessed the characteristics of spousal psychopathologies among parents of schoolchildren with and without psychological disorders (PD) in China. Methods Parental symptoms were measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in 275 mothers and 278 fathers of 298 schoolchildren with PDs diagnosed in a population survey and in 825 mothers and 834 fathers of 894 schoolchildren without PDs as a 1:3 matched comparison group. Spousal GHQ scores were compared. Childhood PD type, presence of childhood comorbidities, and multiple parental and family characteristics were examined as predictors for parental GHQ scores by multiple linear regression analyses. Results The GHQ scores were significantly higher among mothers and fathers of children with any PD. Maternal GHQ scores were higher than paternal scores and significantly correlated with paternal GHQ scores in both groups. Spousal GHQ, personal PD history, and childhood PD comorbidity were significant independent predictors of both parents’ GHQ scores. There were also significant associations among parental chronic disease, low family income, and paternal and maternal GHQ score, as well as among low maternal education, less common disorder (LCD) prevalence in children and maternal GHQ score. The rate of GHQ score ≥3 for both parents was significantly higher in the study group than the control group (15.1 vs.7.0%). Conclusions Parents of children with any PD type demonstrate significantly elevated psychopathologies, and psychopathology tends to occur concomitantly and resemble that of the other spouse. Screening and treatment of parental psychiatric symptoms will benefit all family members.