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Journal
of
Abnormal
Psychology
Copyright 1985
by the
American Psychological
Association,
Inc.
1985, Vol.
94, No. 2,
154-164
0021-843X/85/S00.75
Psychosocial
Adjustment
of
Adolescent
Children
of
a
Depressed,
Arthritic,
or
Normal
Parent
Barton
J.
Hirsch
Rudolf
H.
Moos
University
of
Illinois
at
Urbana-Champaign Social Ecology Laboratory
Stanford
University
and
Veterans Administration
Medical Centers
Thomas
M.
Reischl
University
of
Illinois
at
Urbana-Champaign
The
present study examined
the
joint
effects
of
having
a
parent with
a
psychological
or
physical disability
and of
stressful
life
events
on the
mental health
of
school-
age
adolescents. Three groups
of
adolescents were compared:
16
adolescent
children
of a
depressed
parent,
16
adolescent children
of a
parent with rheumatoid
arthritis,
and
16
adolescent children
of
parents
free
from
psychological
or
physical
disability.
In
contrast
to the
normal group, children
of an
arthritic parent reported
lower
self-esteem,
whereas children
of a
depressed parent
reported
both lower
self-esteem
and
more symptomatology. However,
the two
risk groups
did not
differ
in
terms
of
mental health
or
family
and
school adjustment. Both negative
and
positive
life
events were strongly related
to
poorer adjustment,
but
only
for
the
depressed
and
arthritic groups. There
was a
significant interaction
effect
of
parental disability (depressed
vs.
normal)
and
negative
life
events
on
symptom-
atology,
with
adolescent children
of a
depressed parent
who
experienced
few
negative
life
events reporting symptom levels equivalent
to
that
of the
normal
group.
Within-group
analyses revealed that
a
positive
family
social climate
was
related
to
better adjustment among
all
three groups; satisfactory school involvements
were
related
to
better adjustment among
the
depressed
and
normal groups.
The
implications
of
these
findings for
understanding adolescent mental health
and for
planning
future
risk research
are
discussed.
Research
on
populations
considered
vul-
ently
available
indicate
that increased
risk
nerable
or at
risk
has
emerged
as an
important status
is
associated
with
(a)
having
a
parent
strategy
for
studying
and
potentially
prevent-
with
a
psychological
disorder
and (b)
exposure
ing
the
development
of
psychopathology.
Two to
life
changes
or
events.
The
present
research
of
the
most
widely
replicated
findings
pres-
examines
the
joint
effects
of
these
risk
factors
among
adolescents,
with
a
special
focus
on
adolescent
children
of a
depressed parent.
Funding
for
this
research
was
provided
by an
individual
NIMH
(National
Institute
of
Mental
Health)
National
Children
of a
Depressed
Parent
Research
Service
Postdoctoral
Fellowship
held
at the
SvSy^mSs
Sly
SS
"y^H
Several
lines
of
inquiry
converge
to
suggest
Grant
MH16744
and
National
Institute
of
Health
Mul-
that
children
of a
depressed
parent
are at
tipurpose
Arthritis
Center
Grant
AM20610,
and by
increased
risk
for
psychopathology.
In
Studies
Veterans
Administration
Medical
Research
funds.
Abbre-
comparing
children
of
depressed
versus
chil-
viated
versions
of
this
article
were
presented
at
the
90th
dren
of
normal
parents
children
of a de-
annual
meeting
of
the
American
Psychological
Association,
.
^.uu
c
j^i.
-c
Washington,
DC,
August
1982.
pressed parent
have
been
found
to be
sigmf-
We
are
grateful
to
Halsted
Holman, William
Lages,
icantly
more
disturbed
(e.g.,
Billings
&
Mdos,
and
Robert
Zeiders
for
their
assistance
in
obtaining
1983;