THE INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF DEPRESSION Kristen Wilkinson, Emily Cook, Trisha Kiley, Amanda DiPaola, Amanda Welch, Department of Psychology, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI RI-INBRE Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program Research has suggested that depressive symptoms are passed down in families and children of depressed mothers are at an increased risk of depression later in life (Hammen et al., 2011). Few studies have examined possible explanations (i.e., examining mediators) as to why depressive symptoms are transmitted from mothers to adolescents. Forman and Davies (2003) suggest that adolescence may be a critical period for developing a sense of security in the family context and may put adolescents at risk for depressive symptoms. Thus, we hypothesized that the association between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent depressive symptoms will be partially mediated by emotionally insecurity. To test this hypothesis, fifty participants (females=64%/Caucasian=78%) between the ages of 13 to 17 (M=15.1) completed surveys in the home. Mom depression was measured through the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977) and adolescent depression was measured through mom and adolescent reports of the Child Behavior Checklist Scale (Achenbach, 1991). Emotional insecurity was measured through the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987). Results from a multiple regression analysis indicated that maternal depressive symptoms were associated with adolescent depressive symptoms. Emotional insecurity partially mediated the pathway between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent depressive symptoms with higher emotional insecurity resulting in higher reports of adolescent depressive symptoms. Results from this study may assist programs for adolescents and their mother’s with depression by giving more information on ways to avoid/help depression and the potential sources of depressive symptoms in youth.
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