A new study ties depression in teens to their mothers’ depression during their early childhood. Reading that sentence, perhaps you’re having an “aha moment,” recognizing that depression in your past might have a tie to your own mother’s depression. Perhaps you’re recognizing yourself or someone you know who is struggling with depression and potentially planting the seeds for future depression in young children. If any of these “perhaps” statements apply to you, it might be time to look into treatment options for depression. Below is an excerpt from Tara Haelle’s article on the new study for The News Star. Please read this, and feel free to click the link below for the full story. And if you’re in the greater Cleveland area, remember that we’re here.
Teens are more likely to smoke, drink and use marijuana – and to do so at an earlier age – if their mothers were depressed when the kids were in grade school, a new study says.
These same teens are also more likely to engage in violence and other delinquent behaviors, according to the study, published online Dec. 22 in Pediatrics.
The researchers expected that teens of mothers who were currently depressed would be most likely to engage in risky behaviors “since those children may be missing both the supervision and support that a parent can offer during an emotional time,” said study co-author Ian Colman. He is an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Ottawa in Canada.
“So we were surprised to see that maternal depression when the child was aged 6 to 10 was actually more strongly associated with those risky health behaviors,” Colman said.
These earlier formative years are when peers begin to have a greater influence on children, who still need their parents’ support and guidance, said social worker Seanna Crosbie, director of program and trauma-informed services at Austin Child Guidance Center in Austin, Texas.