AGE-SPECIFIC AND GENDER-SPECIFIC EFFECTS OF PARENTAL DEPRESSION - A COMMENTARY

Depressive symptoms were characterized as a female-typic response class with depressive episodes as the amplification of age- and gender-specific normal socialization practices. The parenting skill deficits of parents with depression may contribute to this outcome by increasing stressful life circumstances. The need for studies of the precise functional effects of intrafamilial processes that contribute to the intergenerational transmission of depression is discussed, including the importance of specific behavior patterns characteristic of depressed individuals.