ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study is to compare psychopathology and their perceived parental rearing pattern of the children of mothers with major depression, bipolar disorder and those of normal control group. The correlation was also assessed between behavior problem and perceived parenting style. METHODS: The subjects were 30 children (age range 12-18) of mothers who met the DSM-IV criteria of major depressive disorder or bipolar I disorder and 30 children of normal mother group. All completed self-report questionnaires containing Child, adolescent Behavior Problem Checklist (K-CBCL), Youth Self Report (YSR) and Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). RESULTS: 1) The mean score of the subscales of somatic complaints, anxious/depressed, internalizing problems in K-CBCL was significantly higher in the control subjects compared with that of the children of mothers with affective disorders (p<0.05). 2) In YSR, there was a tendency of increased behavior problems among the children of mothers with major depression compared with the control subjects. Compared with children of mothers with bipolar disorder, children of mothers with major depression had significantly more behavior problems (p<0.05). 3) Mothers with affective disorders tended to display less caring and fathers and mothers with affective disorders tended to display more overprotective parenting style than the control subjects. 4) There was positive correlation between paternal overprotection and behavior problems in the children of mothers with affective disorders. CONCLUSION: In summary, the author identified that the children of mothers with affective disorders have more behavior problems in social adjustment than normal control subjects. Parental rearing style is thought to have more negative influence on the children of mothers with affective disorders than normal control. It is surmised that less caring and more overprotective rearing style could influence behavior problems of their children.