Family interaction styles of children with depressive disorders, schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, and normal controls

Family interaction processes during a problem-solving task were examined in children with depressive disorders, children with schizophrenia-spectrum d isorders, and a normal control group of community children screened for the absence of psychiatric disorder. Major findings were: a) children with dep ressive disorders were more likely than children with schizophrenia-spectru m disorders and children with no psychiatric disorder to direct guilt-induc ing comments toward their parents; and b) parents of children with schizoph renia-spectrum disorders were more likely to direct harsh critical comments toward;the child than were,parents of depressed children or parents of nor mal controls. In addition, children's and mothers' use of benign, criticism was linked, while children's harsh criticism was associated with intrusion fi om the,father, and children; self-denigrating comments were related to specific paternal criticism. Implications of these results for understandin g transactional processes associated with childhood-onset depressive and sc hizophrenia-spectrum disorders are discussed.