Consequences on the other children in the family
A mental health disorder does not leave the rest of the children in a family unaffected, should this be the case. The younger children face the threat of a reduction of parental presence and interest in their activities, which can affect their interest for the rest of their social life (e.g. friends, school, etc) (1). Recurrent maternal depression is responsible for an increased risk of depression in adolescents and increased rates of anxiety disorders in children (2).
Bibliography
- Murray, L. & Cooper, P.J. (1997). Effects of postnatal depression on infant development. Arch Dis Child 1997;77:99-101 doi:10.1136/adc.77.2.99
- Halligan, S.L., Herbert J., Goodyer I., Murray L. (2007). Disturbances in morning cortisol secretion in association with maternal postnatal depression predict subsequent depressive symptomatology in adolescents. Biol. Psychiatry, 62:40–46. [PubMed]
