TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk factors for preschool depression
T2 - The mediating role of early stressful life events
AU - Luby, Joan L.
AU - Belden, Andy C.
AU - Spitznagel, Edward
PY - 2006/12
Y1 - 2006/12
N2 - Background: Family history of mood disorders and stressful life events are both established risk factors for childhood depression. However, the role of mediators in risk trajectories, which are potential targets for intervention, remains understudied. To date, there have been no investigations of mediating relationships between risk factors and very early onset depression, a developmental period during which intervention may be more effective. The current study used regression analyses to examine the relationships between family history of mood disorders and stressful life events as risk factors for depression in a preschool sample. Methods: Preschoolers 3.0 to 5.6 years of age participated in acomprehensive mental health assessment. Caregivers were interviewed about their children using a structured diagnostic measure to derive DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnoses and dimensional depression severity scores. Family history of psychiatric disorders and preschoolers'stressful life events was obtained. Results: Both family history and stressful life events predicted depression severity scores 6months later. Analyses examining the influence of family history of mood disorders and stressful life events on preschoolers' depression severity demonstrated that stressful life events mediated the relationship between family history and preschoolers'depression. Conclusions: Findings outline the key role of exposure to early stressful life events as a mediator of familial mood disorder risk in preschool onset depression. This finding in a preschool sample provides support for the hypothesis that psychosocial factors may have increased importance as mediators of risk in younger age groups. Findings suggest that psychosocial factors should be considered key targets for early intervention in depression.
AB - Background: Family history of mood disorders and stressful life events are both established risk factors for childhood depression. However, the role of mediators in risk trajectories, which are potential targets for intervention, remains understudied. To date, there have been no investigations of mediating relationships between risk factors and very early onset depression, a developmental period during which intervention may be more effective. The current study used regression analyses to examine the relationships between family history of mood disorders and stressful life events as risk factors for depression in a preschool sample. Methods: Preschoolers 3.0 to 5.6 years of age participated in acomprehensive mental health assessment. Caregivers were interviewed about their children using a structured diagnostic measure to derive DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnoses and dimensional depression severity scores. Family history of psychiatric disorders and preschoolers'stressful life events was obtained. Results: Both family history and stressful life events predicted depression severity scores 6months later. Analyses examining the influence of family history of mood disorders and stressful life events on preschoolers' depression severity demonstrated that stressful life events mediated the relationship between family history and preschoolers'depression. Conclusions: Findings outline the key role of exposure to early stressful life events as a mediator of familial mood disorder risk in preschool onset depression. This finding in a preschool sample provides support for the hypothesis that psychosocial factors may have increased importance as mediators of risk in younger age groups. Findings suggest that psychosocial factors should be considered key targets for early intervention in depression.
KW - Development
KW - Family history
KW - Parent child relationships
KW - Preschool depression
KW - Psychosocial risk
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36849089986&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01672.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01672.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 17176384
AN - SCOPUS:36849089986
VL - 47
SP - 1292
EP - 1298
JO - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
JF - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
SN - 0021-9630
IS - 12
ER -