In a dramatic finding, researchers show that treating a mother’s depression prevents mental illness in their children.

Although depression has genetic links, it’s also a psychosocial illness, and children are strongly affected by moms (and presumably dads, though they weren’t included in this study) who are ill.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at 151 women and their children over three months. Overall, they found an 11% decrease in rates of diagnoses in children of mothers whose depression remitted compared with an 8% increase in rates of diagnoses in children of mothers whose depression did not.

Dr. Nada Stotland, vice president of the American Psychiatric Association, said, “It’s a little like putting your own oxygen mask on first on the airplane. If you can’t breathe, you can’t help anybody.”

The study has profound implications for holistic treatment in families.

Remission of maternal depression has a positive effect on both mothers and their children, whereas mothers who remain depressed may increase the rates of their children’s disorders. These findings support the importance of vigorous treatment for depressed mothers in primary care or psychiatric clinics and suggest the utility of evaluating the children, especially children whose mothers continue to be depressed.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 22 Mar 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.