LOW PARENTAL CARE AS A RISK FACTOR TO LIFETIME DEPRESSION IN A COMMUNITY SAMPLE

A number of studies have reported links between experiencing low paren tal care and subsequent depressive experience. As the majority have in volved patient samples, links may reflect anomalous parenting disposin g to help-seeking behaviour (and patient status) rather than directly to depression. We, therefore, report a community study, so redressing any such artefact emerging from a patient sample and, additionally, qu antify the relevance of low parental care to depression in comparison to several other risk factors (i.e., age, gender, educational level, s ocioeconomic status and marital status). Subjects were drawn from the ECA study and comprised those assessed at the 1-year follow-up intervi ew undertaken at the New Haven site, with parental care being assessed by a key item from the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Those reach ing criteria for a lifetime episode of major depressive disorder were significantly more likely to report low care from both parents as well as to be female, divorced or separated, and younger. Low parental car e (along with age and mental status but not female sex) appeared patho plastic in being linked with an increased chance of psychopathology in general, rather than demonstrating specificity to major depressive di sorder.