Intergenerational Transmission of Depression

Abstract

The study of depression in mothers in relation to transmission of risk for the development of psychopathology in their children relies on solid foundations in the understanding of psychopathology, of development, and of developmental psychopathology per se. This article begins with a description of the scope of the problem, including a summary of knowledge of how mothers’ depression is associated with outcomes in children and of moderators of those associations. The sense of scope then informs a theoretical and empirical perspective on knowledge of mechanisms in those associations, with a focus on what has been learned in the past 20 years. Throughout the article, and in conclusions at the end, are suggestions for next steps in research and practice.