Parental depressive symptoms across the first three years of a child's life and emotional and behavioural problem trajectories in children and adolescents

Highlights

•Parental perinatal depressive symptoms were associated with high levels of behavioural problem trajectories in offspring.

•The maternal-effect of depressive symptoms is stronger than the paternal effect.

•Persistent depressive symptoms were associated with a greater risk of behavioural problems.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The risk associated with parental perinatal depressive symptoms and the continuum of emotional and behavioural problems in offspring is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal and paternal perinatal depressive symptoms and behavioural problem trajectories in offspring aged 3-16 years.

METHODS: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) in Bristol, Avon, United Kingdom (UK). Parental perinatal depressive symptoms in the first three years of a child's life were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Offspring emotional- and behavioural problems were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) when the child was 3.5, 7, 9, 11, and 16 years. A group-based trajectory modelling was used to identify the distinct trajectories of emotional and behavioural problems. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations, and z-scores were calculated to compare maternal and paternal associations.

RESULTS: We identified three trajectories of emotional and behavioural problems in offspring between the ages of 3.5 and 16: low, moderate and high symptom trajectories. We found that maternal and paternal antenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms were associated with high levels of emotional and behavioural problem trajectories in offspring. We also found that children exposed to maternal ( adjusted RR = 8.11; 95% CI: 5.26-12.48) and paternal ( adjusted RR = 2.32; 1.05-5.14) persistent depressive symptoms were more likely to be in high levels of total behavioural problem trajectory group than in the normal trajectory group. The maternal-effect was stronger (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that exposure to parental depressive symptoms were associated with high levels of emotional and behavioural problem trajectories in offspring, with the maternal effect being stronger than the paternal effect.