Effects of parental depression on their offspring's mental health

Duration: 39 mins Publication Date: 10 Nov 2023 Next Review Date: 10 Nov 2026 DOI: 10.13056/acamh.13594

Description

Dr. Victoria Powell addresses the effect of parental depression on child mental health. She highlights her work on understanding risk and protective factors for depression across different life stages and the epidemiology of depression. Besides, she introduces the EPAD study, focusing on the offspring of recurrently depressed parents, and discusses her current work on the SWELL trial aimed at preventing depression in young people at elevated risk due to parental depression history. Dr. Powell emphasizes the importance of prolonged vigilance and intervention in this high-risk group, based on findings that show a prolonged risk period for the onset of mood and anxiety disorders extending into early adulthood. The talk showcases the need for targeted prevention and early intervention strategies to mitigate the impact of parental depression on future generations.

Learning Objectives

A. To understand parental depression's impact on child mental health
B. To examine EPAD study's psychopathology findings in offspring
C. To explore SWELL trial's prevention strategies for high-risk youth