This paper is looking to prove that there is a correlation between parental depression and adolescent growth. There has been multiple studies conducted relating to the adolescent’s self-esteem, their behavioral patterns, as well as how it effects the relationship between the parent and the adolescent, which can be defined as support and conflict. The parent-adolescent support and conflict have been related to the adolescent emotional outcomes, such a hopelessness, but particularly depression. In this paper the researched articles will prove the points that there is in fact a correlation to parents who suffer from depression and the growth of their adolescent.
According to the article Trajectories of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality Among At-Risk Youth: Parental Depression and Adolescent Development Outcomes written by JaHun Kim, Elaine Adams Thompson, Elaine M. Walsh, and Karen G. Schepp, this article discusses the role of parental depression and the changes that occur in the parent-adolescent relationship. When a parent is battling depression there is a higher chance that as time goes on the support between the parent-adolescent will decline, once the support levels begin to decline the adolescent will then begin to be associated with depressive symptoms as well and a sense of hopelessness over an 18 month period. In a study that was conducted by MacCarty and McMahon in 2003 they examined the correlation between 224 adolescents and mothers suffering from depression. The adolescent and mother relationship was shown to be poorer than normal and an adolescent that had a depressed mother was at risk for disrupted friendships, social life, as well as poorer academic performance. In another study that was conducted in 2001 by Jacob and Johnson, they examined the effects of the father suffering from depression. Depressed fathers showed that there was a negative increase in the interactions with the adolescent, the negative interaction had a direct correlation to the adolescent having some sort of behavioral problem. One of the findings that came from this study was that parental depression has a direct relationship to the adolescent developing some type of behavioral problem. The adolescents that experience a parent who suffers from depression are at risk for school failure or dropping out, drug use, having the adolescent suffer from depressive symptoms, as well as hopelessness. In this longitudinal study the adolescent sample contained 52% male and 48% female, the ages ranged from 13-17 years old, and they were from various ethnic backgrounds. The parent participants were 88.2% female and the average age was 42 years old, a majority of the parents had some type of college education , only 24% had earned the BA or graduate degree. The adolescents were then given a High School Questionnaire (HSQ) that measures a wide range of adolescent behavior such as drug involvement, feelings of hopelessness, and depressed affect. The HSQ had been performed in previous studies and the results were proven to be valid and had been deemed to be quite reliable. Then the adolescents then had their depression measured using a six-item scale which was based on the CES-D scale. Based on the test results parent depression can directly impact negative developmental outcomes in adolescents. This can consist of personal competencies, reduction in the overall-wellbeing, and dysfunctional communication. The parents who suffer from depression are more likely to have ineffective communication habits and tend to use negative parenting styles, this can lead to the adolescent having difficulty in emotional adjustment. The adolescent is more likely to become more vulnerable to depression as well as other emotional problems, there is a common link between parent depression and adolescent emotional maladjustment. (Kim, 2015)
In the article written by Susann Krug, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Roselind Lieb, Katja Beesdo-Baum, and Susanne Knappe: Family Functioning Mediates the Association Between Parental Depression and Low Self Esteem in Adolescents, it discusses how the paternal depressive disorder relates to poor self-esteem in the offspring. There are increased levels of dysfunction levels when a parent suffers from depression. Throughout this study there are suggestions that there is a higher risk for the adolescent to have lower self-worth as well as poor self-esteem. There have been particular evidence that maternal depressive disorders were important predictors for poor self-esteem in adolescence. Adolescence that have a mother that is depressed, the adolescence tend to have lower self-worth, they tend to hold themselves accountable for negative outcomes and remember less positive self describing adjectives. The functionality of a family have also been potential links to parental depression and poor self-esteem for the adolescence. The depressive disorder in the parent can negatively affect the family functioning a significant amount; major depression or even adjustment disorder tended to show poorer family functioning. Dysfunctional family traits tend to indicate detrimental family pattens and daily interactions with stress and other related behaviors. The lower the level a family functions at it tends to affect the adolescent’s physical development as well as their emotional; this will potentially lead the adolescent to have feelings of insecurity, uncertainty, and neglect, all of which is going to lower the self-esteem in the long run. In this experiment they tested family functioning by using The McMaster Family Assessment Device, this was used to assess six dimensions:problem solving, communication, role behavior, affective responsiveness, affective involvement, as well as behavior control. The scores from this assessment have a “general functioning scale”, meaning that it will represent the overall health and functionality of the family’s transactions. For the sub scale the FAD can calculate the parent’s responses I order to help indicate the overall functioning of the family. When measuring the self esteem the German ALS-F, the ALS consists of 54 various items that refer to three areas of self-esteem: leisure, school, and family. The higher the score for ALL 54 of these items, it will indicate that there are higher levels of self-esteem. The results from this study were calculated with regard to communicating, problem solving, affective responsiveness, role behavior, and general functioning. The findings in this study tend to point to the role of the family environment, if the environment for the adolescent is a well-rounded environment that allows the adolescent to function properly then the adolescent will be able to have a better sense of self-worth as well as have a higher self-esteem. (Krug, October 2016)
In the article Maternal Avoidant Coping Mediates the Effect of Parenting Stress on Depressive Symptoms During Early Adolescence written by Christine M. STeeger, Dawn M. Gondoli, and Rebecca A. Morrissey the article discusses avoidant coping strategies and depressive symptoms. The depressive symptoms are able to serve as a guide that may suggest there have been depressive symptoms prior, thus causing a barrier that is stopping efficient and effective communication. If there is a time when communication is inefficient this will cause the adolescent to begin to development various mental problems. The parent’s depressive symptoms can be associated with only negative outcomes for the adolescent. If a traumatic incident happens to the parent and they decide to use the avoidant coping strategy, this may also be a connection to the depressive symptoms as well as the negative outcomes for the adolescent such as diminishing their well-being. The avoidant coping has been linked multiple time to greater levels of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. The data for this study was collected as the child was transitioning through adolescence, there were letters that were sent around the school, and then from there the mothers and child had to meet annually. The analyses focused on the maternal reports that would be collected over the next three years. In order for a mother to participate in this study there were various criteria the had to be met, the eligibility was determined by a screening process. On average the mothers had participated in three years of college, 77.5% worked full-time jobs, and came from average socioeconomic standing. There had been 537 mothers that wanted to participate in this survey, but however only 198 met the criteria. The analysis was based upon data that had been collected as the adolescent complete 6th to 8th grade, these three years were crucial because it was able to show the maternal’s stress, coping, as well as depression. There was an 11-item scale that instructed the mothers to express their avoidant coping strategies. The higher the mothers scored the higher the more likely they can be found using the avoidant coping strategy. In order to measure the maternal’s depressive symptoms there was a 20-item scale, this scale would focus on only the past 7 days. Once again the higher the mother scored for this, the more likely she is suffering from depressive symptoms. Both of the tests have been used before and they have had results that were reliable, consistent, as well as valid. The result of this study showed that as the parent using the avoidant coping strategy the depression increased, it is proven that by choosing the avoidant strategy it is linked to depressive symptoms. (Steeger, October 2013)
To summarize all three articles, having a parent suffer from a depressive disorder can effect the adolescent with self-esteem, relationships not only with themselves, bu with others also, as well as functionality between the family. When a parent suffers from depressive symptoms the adolescent will begin to see that they are at a higher risk of having depression if left untreated. Depression for adolescents can interfere with their social, emotional, as well as their cognitive growth. There are different effects that occur depending on which parent is diagnosed with the depressive symptoms, regardless the child is still effected and can still be at risk for depression if left untreated. When depression occurs between a parent and an adolescent it does not allow there to be proper communication and the child will begin to engage in risky behaviors as stated in the first summary. An adolescent is going through enough change as it is, throwing into the mix a parent who is depressed and decides to use the avoidant coping mechanism, this is not a healthy way to help with the family functioning. If a parent has depression symptoms they should seek help as soon as possible to help maintain a good relationship with their adolescent and to maintain function in their home.