Objective

Parental psychiatric symptoms can negatively affect the outcome of children’s psychopathology. Studies thus far have mainly shown a negative effect of maternal depression. This study examined the associations between a broad range of psychiatric symptoms in mothers and fathers and the child’s outcome.

Method

Internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms were assessed in 742 mothers, 440 fathers, and their 811 children at the first evaluation in 3 child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinics and at follow-up (on average 1.7 years later). Predictions of child’s symptoms scores were tested at follow-up by parental symptom scores at baseline, parental scores at follow-up, and offspring scores at baseline.

Results

Children whose mother or father scored above the (sub)clinical threshold for psychiatric symptoms at baseline had higher symptom scores at baseline and at follow-up. Offspring follow-up scores were most strongly predicted by offspring baseline scores, in addition to parental psychiatric symptoms at follow-up. Offspring symptom scores at follow-up generally were not predicted by parental scores at baseline. Maternal and paternal associations were of similar magnitude.

Conclusion

Higher symptom scores at follow-up in children of parents with psychopathology were mainly explained by higher symptom scores at baseline. Continuing parent–offspring associations could be a result of reciprocal effects, ie, parental symptoms influencing offspring symptoms and offspring symptoms influencing parental symptoms. Nevertheless, the results show that these children are at risk for persisting symptoms, possibly indicating the need to treat maternal and paternal psychopathology.

中文翻译：

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父母的精神病症状是否可以预测患有精神病的儿童的结果？自然主义的临床研究

客观的

父母的精神病症状会对儿童的心理病理学产生负面影响。迄今为止的研究主要显示了母亲抑郁症的负面影响。这项研究检查了父母中广泛的精神病症状与孩子的结局之间的关联。

方法

在3个儿童和青少年精神病门诊进行的首次评估以及随访（平均1.7年）后，对742位母亲，440位父亲及其811位孩子的精神病症状的内在化和外在化进行了评估。随访时通过基线时的父母症状评分，随访时的父母评分以及基线时的后代评分来检验儿童症状评分的预测。

结果

母亲或父亲在基线时得分高于精神症状的（亚）临床阈值的儿童在基线时和随访时的症状评分较高。除了随访时的父母精神病症状外，后代分数最强烈地由后代基线分数预测。随访时的后代症状评分通常不能通过基线时的父母评分来预测。孕产妇和父亲的关联程度相似。

结论

患有精神病理学父母的孩子在随访中症状评分较高，主要是由基线时较高的症状评分所解释。父母与子女之间持续的联系可能是相互影响的结果，即，父母的症状影响子女的症状，而子女的症状影响父母的症状。然而，结果表明，这些儿童有持续症状的风险，可能表明需要治疗母体和父亲的心理病理学。