Parental Depression Symptoms, Physiological Reactivity, and Parenting Behaviors: Associations with Youth Psychopathology

Abstract

Parental depression symptoms are a highly prevalent risk factor for youths’ development of psychological problems. Additionally, the effects of parenting behaviors and physiological stress reactivity have been examined as mechanisms of interest in the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology symptoms. Yet prior research is highly variable regarding study methodology and the ages of youth across samples, and no existing studies have examined the interactions among these variables in association with adolescent psychopathology. In a sample of 97 adolescents and their parents, the current study utilized a multi-method and multi-informant design to examine the concurrent and longitudinal associations among parental depression symptoms, observed parenting behaviors, and parents’ physiological reactivity (i.e., skin conductance level [SCL] and respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA]) with adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Findings emphasize the interacting roles of worsening parental depression symptoms, parenting behaviors, and parents’ physiological hyperreactivity in the development of adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Clinical implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.