Maternal depression during pregnancy and offspring depression in adulthood: role of child maltreatment.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that maternal depression during pregnancy predicts offspring depression in adolescence. Child maltreatment is also a risk factor for depression.

AIMS: To investigate (a) whether there is an association between offspring exposure to maternal depression in pregnancy and depression in early adulthood, and (b) whether offspring child maltreatment mediates this association.

METHOD: Prospectively collected data on maternal clinical depression in pregnancy, offspring child maltreatment and offspring adulthood (18-25 years) DSM-IV depression were analysed in 103 mother-offspring dyads of the South London Child Development Study.

RESULTS: Adult offspring exposed to maternal depression in pregnancy were 3.4 times more likely to have a DSM-IV depressive disorder, and 2.4 times more likely to have experienced child maltreatment, compared with non-exposed offspring. Path analysis revealed that offspring experience of child maltreatment mediated the association between exposure to maternal depression in pregnancy and depression in adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS: Maternal depression in pregnancy is a key vulnerability factor for offspring depression in early adulthood.