Sudhakar Jha
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Written By: Sudhakar Jha | Updated : August 14, 2018 11:55 AM IST
A research at the Northwestern University found that the bond between young children and their parents could affect the symptoms of depression and with time, as the child's conditions improve with treatment the parents' mental health too showed and upward trajectory in their mental health.
In this long-term study, the researchers looked at 325 teens who had been diagnosed with depression, and 325 of their parents or caretakers. The teens were assigned to three treatment groups for a one-year period on a random basis. The first group was sent for cognitive behavioural therapy, which helps patients identify and resolve negative thoughts and behaviour, the second group went for antidepressant medication, and the third consisted of those who used a combination of both.
The study, that was presented at the annual convention of American Psychological Association, noted that before the treatment began, a quarter of the parents reported moderate to severe levels of depression. But after the teens had completed the treatment, and after an year of follow-up visits, the researchers found that as the severity of an adolescent's depression lessened, so did the symptoms in the parent, regardless of the type of treatment.
"Depression is a massive public health concern that will take a variety of approaches to better manage. We believe our study is among the first to evaluate how the emotional health of a child can impact that of the parent," said study co-author Mark A. Reinecke, PhD.
Another study co-author, Kelsey R. Howard noted that the findings could be useful for healthcare providers, as they could consider assessing a parent's level of depression when treating their child.
The concept of emotions being contagious is well known and this research is a good case study on treating family-wide depression in future.
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