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Longitudinal Course of Diagnosed Depression from Ages 15 to 20 in a Community Sample: Patterns and Parental Risk Factors

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Abstract

The primary aim was to examine the associations of hypothesized maternal and paternal risk factors with course of depression diagnosis in a community sample from ages 15–20. In addition, we describe longitudinal stability and change in depression diagnosis over this period. In the Youth and Mental Health study 242 adolescents completed questionnaires and the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime interview at ages 15 and 20, and risk factors were measured by parent report including the Adult Self Report. Both groups who remained depressed and who recovered were more likely to have mothers with internalizing problems. Paternal internalizing problems was also significantly associated with course of depression. These findings suggest treatment of depression in adolescents and young adults may benefit from consideration of the parents’ internalizing symptoms.

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Acknowledgments

Research was supported by grants from the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority (RHA) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The valuable contributions and support from the participating adolescents, parents and school staff is gratefully acknowledged. The authors gratefully acknowledge Kyrre Svarva from the IT department of Social and Psychology Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology for his invaluable help with the data files.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors have any conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare (RKBU), Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, MTFS, P.O. Box 8905, 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    T. Agerup, S. Lydersen, J. Wallander & A. M. Sund

  2. University of California, Merced, CA, USA

    J. Wallander

  3. St. Olav Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    A. M. Sund

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  1. T. Agerup
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  2. S. Lydersen
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  3. J. Wallander
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  4. A. M. Sund
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Correspondence to T. Agerup.

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Agerup, T., Lydersen, S., Wallander, J. et al. Longitudinal Course of Diagnosed Depression from Ages 15 to 20 in a Community Sample: Patterns and Parental Risk Factors. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 45, 753–764 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-014-0444-8

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