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Maternal depression trajectories and offspring positive attributes and social aptitudes at early adolescence: 2004 Pelotas birth cohort

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Abstract

There is growing evidence that adolescent positive attributes and social aptitudes are associated with beneficial outcomes, including higher educational attainment and lower risk of later psychiatric disorder. Although maternal depression is a well-known risk factor for a variety of offspring adverse outcomes, less is known on its repercussion on children's positive behavioral traits. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of maternal depression trajectories on offspring positive attributes and social aptitudes, testing sex-moderated models for the studied association. The 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort is an ongoing cohort originally comprised by 4231 live births from Brazil. We included 3465 11-year-old adolescents (48.6% female; maternal self-reported skin color: 27.0% non-white). Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at all follow-ups. Adolescent positive attributes and social aptitudes were ascertained by specific subscales of Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA). Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the effect of maternal depression trajectories on offspring's outcomes, adjusting for potential confounding variables. Moderation was assessed with interaction terms. Adolescents from mothers who presented high-chronic levels of depressive symptoms during offspring’s life have lower scores of positive attributes and social aptitudes. Boys exposed to maternal depression during their lifetime are more affected than girls regarding positive attributes, but this sex difference was not observed for social aptitudes. Interventions targeting the promotion of adaptive behavioral traits may represent an effective way to buffer the adverse impact of maternal depression on offspring development, especially for vulnerable groups such as male adolescents.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, JMM, upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participating families and staff who collaborated in the various stages of the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort study.

Funding

This work was supported by the Brazilian Association of Public Health (ABRASCO); the Children's Pastorate; the World Health Organization [Grant no. 03014HNI]; the National Support Program for Centers of Excellence (PRONEX) [Grant no. 04/0882.7]; the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq) [Grant no. 481012-2009-5; 484077-2010-4; 470965-2010-0; 481141-2007-3; 426024/2016-8]; the Brazilian Ministry of Health [Grant no. 25000.105293/2004-83]; the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [Grant no. 2014/13864-6; 2017/22723-5].

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

JMM undertook the analysis, interpreted the results, and drafted the first version of the article. AM and ISS participated in the design and analysis of the study and collaborated with the interpretation of the findings and writing of the article. TNM collaborated with the interpretation of the findings and writing of the article. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jessica Mayumi Maruyama.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

All 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort follow-up waves were approved by the Federal University of Pelotas Medical School Research Ethics Committee. All guardians of the participating children signed an informed consent form before data collection. At the 11-year follow-up, adolescents also signed an informed consent form. Cases of severe mental health problems, as identified by the psychologists, were evaluated and, when necessary, were referred to the psychiatric or psychological care facilities.

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Maruyama, J.M., Santos, I.S., Munhoz, T.N. et al. Maternal depression trajectories and offspring positive attributes and social aptitudes at early adolescence: 2004 Pelotas birth cohort. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 30, 1939–1948 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01665-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01665-7

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