Child depression during early adolescence drives later maternal depression

Child depression during early adolescence drives later maternal depression | Image Credit: © Rido - stock.adobe.com.

Research published in JAMA Pediatrics examined longitudinal associations between maternal and child depression across early adolescence and found that children’s depressive symptoms were predictive of subsequent maternal depression, but not the reverse.¹

The study analyzed 1801 mother–child dyads from the All Our Families pregnancy cohort in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Data were collected across four waves between May 2020 and July 2024, covering child ages 10.3 to 12.8 years. The study period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, a time characterized by heightened family stress and increased rates of depression among both caregivers and children.

Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale–10, while children completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to evaluate bidirectional associations over time.²

Key findings

Results indicated that increases in child depression at ages 10.3 and 10.9 years were associated with later increases in maternal depression scores at ages 10.9 and 11.6 years, respectively (standardized coefficients, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.02-0.22 and 0.17; 95% CI, 0.07-0.26). However, maternal depression did not predict subsequent child depression at any age.

The investigators noted: “Contrary to prevailing assumptions, these findings suggest that children’s depression over time may have contributed to worsening maternal depression, rather than the other way around”.

Between-participant analyses showed consistent correlations between maternal and child depression, suggesting stable associations across families. However, within-participant analyses revealed that the directionality of effect was primarily from child to mother.

Household income moderated the associations. In higher-income families, child depression was consistently associated with later maternal depression across all time points. In lower-income families, this prospective association appeared only between ages 10.9 and 11.6 years. There was no evidence of moderating effects by child sex.

The authors emphasized that most prior research assumed a unidirectional effect from parent to child. This study challenges that view by showing evidence of child-to-parent effects during emerging adolescence. “These results demonstrate that parent depression may be triggered by fluctuations in children’s depression symptoms over time, but not vice versa, emphasizing the need for family-centered approaches to mental health interventions”.

Possible explanations include pandemic-related changes, such as increased maternal exposure to children’s distress due to lockdowns, declines in physical activity, and increases in screen time. Mothers may have been more directly affected by their children’s mood and behavior in this context.

Limitations

The sample was predominantly higher-income, limiting generalizability to families with fewer resources. The study also did not include paternal depression, which may have different dynamics. In addition, data were collected annually, and shorter intervals might capture more nuanced temporal dynamics.

Implications for practice

The findings highlight the importance of family-centered pediatric mental health care that incorporates the needs of both children and parents. Interventions targeting child depression may also confer benefits for maternal mental health, particularly during early adolescence.

The authors concluded: “While these results should be replicated in nonpandemic contexts to confirm their generalizability, they highlight the need for family-centered approaches to mental health care”.

References:

1. Hewitt JMA, McArthur BA, Neville RD, Park JL, Tough S, Madigan S. Testing Bidirectional Associations Between Maternal and Child Depression During Emerging Adolescence. JAMA Pediatrics. Published online August 25, 2025. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.2822
2. Hamaker EL, Kuiper RM, Grasman RPPP. A critique of the cross-lagged panel model. Psychol Methods. 2015;20(1):102-116. doi:10.1037/a0038889