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Functioning status of adult children of depressed parents: a 23-year follow-up

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2007

C. Timko ,
R. C. Cronkite ,
R. Swindle ,
R. L. Robinson ,
P. Turrubiartes  and
R. H. Moos
C. Timko*
Affiliation:
Center for Health Care Evaluation, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA
R. C. Cronkite
Affiliation:
Center for Health Care Evaluation, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA
R. Swindle
Affiliation:
Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
R. L. Robinson
Affiliation:
Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
P. Turrubiartes
Affiliation:
Center for Health Care Evaluation, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA
R. H. Moos
Affiliation:
Center for Health Care Evaluation, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: C. Timko, Ph.D., Center for Health Care Evaluation, VA Health Care System(152-MPD), 795 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. (Email: ctimko@stanford.edu)
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Abstract

Background

We compared adult offspring of depressed or control parents who were followed for 23 years. Comparisons were on depression symptoms, physical functioning and disability, social functioning, and utilization of help and coping. Also examined was whether the parent's course of depression (stably remitted, partially remitted, non-remitted) was associated with offspring functioning.

Method

Depressed parents successfully followed at 23 years (n=248, 82%) identified 215 adult offspring; 67% returned questionnaires. Matched control parents successfully followed (n=235, 79%) identified 261 adult offspring; 68% completed questionnaires.

Results

Adult offspring of depressed parents were more impaired than adult offspring of controls (with gender and education controlled) in the domains of depression and disability, and obtained more help for mental health problems. They also reported more severe recent stressors and relied more on active cognitive coping and seeking alternative rewards to cope. Adult offspring of depressed and control parents were comparable in a number of domains: psychiatric and behavioral problems other than depression, physical functioning and pain, social functioning, and hospitalizations and medication use for depression. Adult offspring of parents with a non-remitted course of depression were the most likely to show impaired functioning compared with controls.

Conclusions

Having a parent with depression is associated with more depression and disability in adulthood, but does not have debilitating effects in other life domains. Nonetheless, it may be important for offspring of depressed parents, particularly offspring of parents with a non-remitting depression course, to recognize their elevated risk of depression and potential need for help.

Keywords

Adult childrendepressed parentsdepressiondisability
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 3 , March 2008 , pp. 343 - 353
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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Footnotes

This paper was presented in part at the annual meetings of the American Psychiatric Association, Toronto, Canada, 23 May 2006, and of the Institute of Psychiatric Services, New York, 5 October 2006.

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