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Parenting Processes Mediate the Link Between Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Adolescent Psychopathology

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Abstract

There is now strong evidence documenting an association between maternal depression and psychopathology in children and adolescents, but an increased understanding of the explanatory mechanisms is needed. This longitudinal study tested a model to determine if parenting processes that may promote parentification of adolescents (coded from narratives written by mothers) mediate the link between maternal depression symptoms and adolescent psychopathology. Participants in this study were 220 mothers and their children between the ages of 11 and 17, over-recruited for adolescent psychopathology. Maternal depression symptoms and the understudied process of differentiation of generational boundaries, as well as more commonly evaluated aspects of self-efficacy and child acceptance, were evaluated at Time 1. Adolescent psychopathology was assessed at Time 1 and again two years later at Time 2. As predicted maternal depression symptoms were related to adolescent psychopathology and this link was partially mediated by parenting processes. Some differences in these results were shown for adolescent females and males. Findings highlight parental mechanisms by which risk for psychopathology may be transmitted across generations and suggest avenues for clinical interventions.

Highlights

  • This study tested a model to determine if specific aspects of parenting that may promote parentification of adolescents mediate the link between maternal depression symptoms and adolescent psychopathology.

  • We developed and tested a narrative coding system to evaluate parenting processes of differentiation of generational boundaries, parental self-efficacy and acceptance.

  • Maternal depression symptoms were related to adolescent psychopathology, and this link was partially mediated by parenting processes.

  • The longitudinal findings suggest that the mechanisms differ, for girls differentiated boundaries and for boys self-efficacy/acceptance.

  • Findings highlight parental mechanisms by which risk may be transmitted across generations and suggest avenues for clinical interventions.

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Funding

This study, 1 Z01 MH002775 ADOLESCENCE: ANXIETY, MOOD AND BEHAVIOR DISORDERS (referred to elsewhere as “The Role of Emotion in the Development of Psychopathology in Adolescence or the Adolescent Emotion Study”) in the Section on Developmental Psychopathology was headed by C.Z.-W. and B.K.-D. and was funded by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Mental Health NIMH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 2450 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA

    Kristina M. Reigstad, Meredith L. Gunlicks-Stoessel & Adrienne A. VanZomeren

  2. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, 225 Hanley Hall, 1202 West State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2055, USA

    Kristine Marceau

  3. Minnesota Department of Human Services, Disability Services Division, 540 Cedar St, St. Paul, MN, 55101, USA

    Ana Westervelt

  4. University of Wisconsin-Stout, 224 Heritage Hall, 712 South Broadway, Menomonie, WI, 54751, USA

    Ann E. Brand

  5. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Suite S119, Madison, WI, 53705-2280, USA

    Carolyn Zahn-Waxler

  6. Center for Mind and Brain, University of California-Davis, 267 Cousteau Place, Davis, CA, 95618, USA

    Paul D. Hastings

  7. Psychology Department, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, N412 Elliot Hall, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Bonnie Klimes-Dougan

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  1. Kristina M. Reigstad
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  2. Kristine Marceau
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  9. Bonnie Klimes-Dougan
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Contributions

This manuscript was based on the dissertation of K.M.R. under the advising of B.K.-D. Manuscript preparation and the first draft of the manuscript was written by K.M.R. and B.K.-D. Data collection was conducted by B.K.-D., C.Z.-W., P.D.H. and M.L.G.-S. Data analysis was conducted by K.M. All authors (K.M.R., B.K.-D., C.Z.-W., K.M., M.L.G.-S., A.A.V., A.W., A.E.B. and P.D.H.) performed editing and review of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristina M. Reigstad.

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Informed consent or assent was obtained from all participants in the study. Adolescents also assented to be participants in this study.

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This study was approved by the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Reigstad, K.M., Marceau, K., Gunlicks-Stoessel, M.L. et al. Parenting Processes Mediate the Link Between Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Adolescent Psychopathology. J Child Fam Stud 32, 716–732 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02460-5

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