A new study published in PLOS ONE suggests that children who live with a parent suffering from depression have a higher likelihood of developing depression and they fail to achieve educational milestones.

Investigators used data from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank, collected as part of the Born in Wales Study. Information on parental and child diagnosis of depression was taken from general practitioner records in the SAIL databank. Around 34.5% of mothers and 18% of fathers/stable men were found to have a diagnosis of depression. About 4.34% of all the children, 2.85% of boys, and 5.89% of girls had a diagnosis of depression. Children were found to have a higher likelihood of developing depression if their mother had depression before they were born (HR 1.32), after they were born (HR 2.00), or both before and after their birth (HR 2.25).

The risk was also higher if their father/stable man was diagnosed with depression before their birth (HR 1.44), after their birth (HR 1.66), or both before and after their birth (HR 1.47)… (HT – ANI, December 5, 2021)