Depressed adolescents of depressed and nondepressed mothers: Tests of an interpersonal impairment hypothesis

Two groups of depressed youngsters were compared. From an interpersonal per spective, it was hypothesized that depressed adolescents of depressed mothe rs would have significantly more interpersonal dysfunction than depressed y oungsters of nondepressed mothers. In a large community sample of youth and their families, 65 depressed offspring of women with histories of a major depressive episode or dysthymia were compared with 45 depressed offspring o f never-depressed women. As predicted, after controlling for current sympto ms and family social status variables, depressed offspring of depressed mot hers displayed significantly more negative interpersonal behaviors and cogn itions compared with depressed offspring of nondepressed mothers, but they did not differ on academic performance. Implications concerning mechanisms, course, and consequences of different forms of adolescent depression are p resented.