DEPRESSION IN THE ADULT AS A RISK FACTOR IN THE MENTAL-HEALTH OF CHILDREN

This study is based on data obtained through the National Survey on Me ntal Health, carried out in 1988 on a subsample of the urban populatio n included in the National Survey of Adictions. The objectives of this report are to present the strengh of the association and the diferent ial prevalence between the children's caseness elicited through the RQ C, depressive symptomatology in the adults obtained through the CES-D, hopelessness and suicidal ideas. Statistically significant Odds ratio ranged from 1.8 to 4.8, showing that the risk of children having more symptoms reported on the RQC was associated with more severe depressi ve symptomatology and hopelessness in the adults. Prevalence differenc es ranged from 2 to 26% according to the severity of the depressive sy mptoms in the adult. Multiple regression analysis showed that adult de pressive symptomatology, older children, hopelessness and suicidal ide as, and being female, were significantly associated with a positive RQ C. As this was a cross-sectional study, the direction of the associati on cannot bee established. Nevertheless, results confirm and highlight the importance of having a systemic family approach whenever psychiat ric symptomatology, is detected in both adults and children.