Andrea Schreier

Maternal Smoking and Smoking in Adolescents: A Prospective Community Study of Adolescents and Their Mothers

The associations between maternal smoking and nicotine dependence and patterns of smoking and nicotine dependence in offspring were examined in a large community-based sample of adolescents. Data were derived from baseline and 4-year follow-up assessments of 938 respondents aged 14–17 years at the outset of the Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology (EDSP) study, a prospective-longitudinal community study of adolescents and young adults and their parents respectively. Smoking and nicotine dependence in respondents were assessed using the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview (DSM-IV algorithms). Diagnostic information about smoking behavior in mothers was collected by independent direct diagnostic interviews with the mothers. In comparison to children of non- or occasionally smoking mothers, children of regularly smoking and nicotine-dependent mothers had higher probabilities of using tobacco as well as of developing nicotine dependence. For all ages under consideration, survival analyses revealed a higher cumulative lifetime risk of regular smoking and nicotine dependence among these children. Maternal smoking during pregnancy seems to represent an additional risk for these outcomes in children, specifically with regard to the risk of developing nicotine dependence. Associations were comparable for sons and daughters. Our findings show that maternal smoking predicts escalation of smoking, development of nicotine dependence, and stability of smoking behavior in children. Implications for specific intervention and prevention efforts are discussed.

Anxiety disorders in mothers and their children: prospective longitudinal community study

The relationship between DSM-IV anxiety disorders and their clinical characteristics in mothers and anxiety in offspring was examined in 933 mother-child pairs from a longitudinal community study. Offspring of mothers with an anxiety disorder had an elevated risk of developing any anxiety disorder, compared with offspring of mothers with no anxiety disorder. Increased risk of anxiety in the offspring was especially associated with maternal social phobia and generalised anxiety disorder, and with maternal diagnoses of early onset, greater number and more severe impairment. These results suggest that the type of maternal anxiety disorder and its severity of manifestation contribute to mother-offspring aggregation of anxiety.

Maternal psychopathology - a risk factor for affective, anxiety and substance use disorders in offspring? Results from a prospective-longitudinal community study

In a variety of studies it has been demonstrated that affective, anxiety and substance use disorders aggregate in families. These results often get interpreted as parental disorders being a risk factor for psychopathology in offspring. However, rarely has it been demonstrated that the parental disorder precedes that of the child, an attribute necessary for the definition of a risk factor (Kraemer et al 1997). The aim of the present study is to examine whether maternal psychopathology precedes the onset of psychopathology in offspring. Analyses are based on a cohort of 933 mother-child pairs from the EDSP study. Offspring were 14-17-years of age at baseline and were followed-up over a five years period. Diagnostic information on affective, anxiety and substance use disorders of mothers and children was based on the M-CIDI/DSM-IV. In prospective analyses it could be demonstrated that maternal anxiety disorders are associated with elevated incidence rates of affective disorders in offspring during follow-up (18.9% vs. 12.1%; OR=1.7,95% CI=1.1-2.7) and maternal substance use disorders with incident offspring anxiety (21.7% vs. 13.2%; OR=1.8,95% CI=1.1-3.1) as well as substance use disorders (36.5% vs. 28.2%; OR=1.6,95% CI=1.1-2.5). These results are important with regard to the prevention of psychopathology in children suggesting that maternal anxiety can be considered a risk factor for affective disorders and maternal substance use for anxiety and substance use disorders in offspring.

P.2.a.023 Maternal suicidality and risk of suicidality in offspring: findings from a community study

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the associations between suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in mothers and various aspects of suicidality in their offspring in a representative community sample. METHOD Baseline and 4-year follow-up data were used from the Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology study, a prospective, longitudinal community study of adolescents and young adults. Results are based on 933 adolescents who completed follow-up and for whom direct diagnostic information for the biological mother was available. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were assessed in adolescents and mothers with the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview. RESULTS Compared to offspring of mothers without suicidality, offspring of mothers reporting suicide attempts showed a remarkably higher risk for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts and a tendency toward suicide attempts at an earlier age. Associations were comparable for male and female offspring. Transmission of maternal suicidality was roughly stable with control for maternal comorbid psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS The offspring of mothers with suicide attempts are at a markedly increased risk for suicidality themselves and tend to manifest suicide attempts earlier than offspring of mothers without suicidality. Suicidality seems to run in families, independent of depression and other psychopathology.