Coping With the Stress of Parental Depression: Parents' Reports of Children's Coping, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems

Abstract

Examined children's coping and involuntary responses to the stress of living with a depressed parent in relation to their symptoms of anxiety/depression and aggression. Sixty-six clinically depressed adults rated their children's (ages 7 to 17 years old; N = 101) coping and involuntary responses to parental stressors and anxiety/depressive and aggressive behavior symptoms. Based on parent report, children of depressed parents had high rates of symptoms of anxiety/depression and aggression, were exposed to moderate levels of parental stressors (parental intrusiveness, parental withdrawal), and responded to the stress of living with a depressed parent in ways that were associated with symptoms of psychopathology. Children's use of secondary control coping (e.g., positive thinking, acceptance, distraction) was associated with fewer anxiety/depression and aggression symptoms. In contrast, involuntary engagement responses (e.g., rumination, intrusive thoughts) were associated with more anxiety/depression and aggression symptoms. Path analyses revealed that a model in which secondary control coping and involuntary engagement stress responses mediated the relation between family stressors and child symptoms provided the best fit with the data. Implications of these findings for developing interventions for children to reduce the risk of psychopathology are discussed.

Youth Depression in the Family Context: Familial Risk Factors and Models of Treatment

“…Some researchers have been examining youth coping to negative family environment or parent depression as important factors in predicting youth outcome (Compas, Conner-Smith, & Jaser, 2004;Langrock, Compas, Keller, Merchant, & Copeland, 2002). Using a coping style approach, Jaser et al (2005) examined youth risk and parent depression, finding that youth's style of coping with parental intrusiveness and negativity mediated the relationship between a negative family environment and youth depression among children with depressed parents.…”

A diathesis-stress model of engagement in risky behaviors in Chinese adolescents

“…Consequently, researchers have begun to search for factors that may affect the strength of the relationship (i.e., moderate) between negative events and engagement in risky behaviors (Baron & Kenny, 1986;Holmbeck, 1997). One such factor that has received recent attention is coping (Langrock, Compas, Keller, Merchant, & Copeland, 2002).…”

“…Cicchetti, Ackerman, and Izard (1995) posit that adaptive coping is central to well-being and successful functioning and is necessary for initiating, motivating, and organizing adaptive behaviors following negative events. Adaptive coping, including cognitive restructuring and problem solving, has been found to be associated with better emotional adjustment and physical health (Connor-Smith et al, 2000;Zeidner & Saklofske, 1996) and to serve as a protective factor against engagement in risky behaviors (Langrock et al, 2002) and the development of psychopathology (e.g., depression and anxiety) (Chaplin & Cole, 2005). Maladaptive coping strategies such as catastrophizing and rumination, in contrast, have been found to be associated with a wide range of negative outcomes including elevated depressive and/or anxious symptoms as well as increased engagement in risky behaviors (e.g., Garnefski, Kraaij, & Spinhoven, 2001;Langrock et al, 2002).…”

Psychosocial adjustment and physical health in children of divorce

“…Globalmente, a literatura é consistente em demonstrar que a depressão parental, comum durante e após a separação, é um fator de risco nas perturbações de internalização (por exemplo, ansiedade e depressão) e de externalização (por exemplo, oposição) da criança e do adolescente 5,30 . A existência de depressão parental aumenta a probabilidade de diminuição da qualidade de prestação de cuidados materiais e emocionais 15,31 .…”

“…A relação, a longo prazo, entre a disrupção na prestação de cuidados, sobretudo associada a uma diminuição significativa do tempo de contato com um dos progenitores e a funções fisiológicas, é descrita principalmente em termos do aumento da pressão sanguínea 84 Como já foi referido, a depressão associada a um processo de separação também é fator de risco nas perturbações de internalização e de externalização em crianças e adolescentes 30 . Contudo, não é ainda clara a repercussão de psicopatologia depressiva parental na saúde física e na resposta fisiológica ao estresse da criança a curto e longo termos.…”