FAMILY FACTORS IN ADOLESCENT UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION

This paper reviews the current literature on the contribution of famil y factors to unipolar depression among adolescents. Research which exa mined the following factors was reviewed and evaluated: genetic transm ission, parental depression, parental death, quality of attachment and family interaction. Studies had to meet the following criteria to be included:publication must have been between the years 1985 and 1992; t he evaluation had to be empirical with some form of control; a depende nt measure of family characteristics or functioning; the adolescent ha d to be between the ages of 13 to 19; and the adolescent had to meet t he recognizable criteria for unipolar depression. Recent literature su ggests that adolescents suffering from depression share a number of ri sk factors: a family history of affective disorder, inept or inadequat e parenting, abrasive interactions within the family and insecure atta chments. At this time, there is no evidence that these aversive intera ctions predate the disorder Weaknesses in the current literature are i dentified and strategies for improving future research are proposed.