Timing of Exposure to Parental Depression From Pregnancy to Young Adulthood and Mental Health in Adult Offspring

Is there an association between the timing of exposure to parental depression, from pregnancy to age 21 years, and adult offspring mental health?In this cohort study of 5329 adult offspring who participated in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, distinct patterns of associations between the timing of exposure to maternal and paternal depression and adult offspring mental health symptoms were found. Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms were uniquely associated with offspring psychotic symptoms.The findings of this study highlight the importance of supporting parental mental health in pregnancy and throughout child development.

Corresponding Author: Kieran J. O’Donnell, PhD, Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 230 S Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT 06519 (kieran.odonnell@yale.edu).

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