Left untreated, depression can result in all sorts of problems for people. But by and large, the problems tend to be focused on the depressed person’s life. Sometimes, however, a person’s depression can spill out into other people’s lives in unintended and potentially harmful ways.

A new study suggests that moms who suffer from depression are three times more likely to have kids who have an accidental injury.

A likely cause for the link between severe maternal depression and young children’s injury risk is that chronically depressed mothers may not appropriately safeguard the physical environments that children engage in, [the researchers] said.

Another cause may be that symptoms of depression include inattention, poor concentration and irritability, which might lead to poor or inconsistent supervision and enforcement of safety-related rules.

Indeed, inattention and the ability to concentrate and stay focused is a common symptom of depression. So is lack of energy, so if your child is doing something potentially dangerous, and you don’t feel like getting up from the couch or your bed to check on him or her, an accident can occur.

We shouldn’t blame the moms with depression here as they are very much just victims of the depression. It does reinforce the importance — and safety considerations of those around us — of seeking treatment for these kinds of serious mental disorders sooner rather than later.

And if a mom ever needed a reason to seek treatment for depression, we’re hoping this new data provides one.

Read the full article: Depressed Moms Place Kids at Risk for Injury

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 15 May 2008
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.