Mental health problems in the adult offspring of antenatally depressed mothers in the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort:relationship with parental severe mental disorder

• Main Author: Taka-Eilola, T. (Tiina)
• Other Authors: Mäki, P. (Pirjo), Veijola, J. (Juha), Miettunen, J. (Jouko)
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Oulun yliopisto 2019
• Subjects: affective traits; antenatal; antisocial personality disorder; bipolar disorder; borderline personality disorder; depression; family; maternal; mood disorders; offspring; pregnancy; prenatal; psychosis; schizophrenia; schizotypy; affektiiviset piirteet; antenataalidepressio; mielialahäiriöt; persoonallisuushäiriöt; psykoosi; skitsofrenia; skitsotyyppiset piirteet; äidin raskaudenaikainen masennus; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526222455

Abstract Maternal depressed mood during pregnancy is common, but studies on the offspring of antenatally depressed mothers, with a long follow-up, are scarce. The aim was to study whether the adult offspring of antenatally depressed mothers are at an elevated risk of psychoses, depression, bipolar disorder, antisocial and borderline personality disorder, and schizotypal and affective traits. Parental severe mental disorder was considered as both a genetic and environmental risk factor for mental disorders. The data are based on the unselected, prospective, population-based Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort of 12,058 live-born children. The data were collected beginning from pregnancy and ending mid-adulthood. The mothers were asked about their mood during pregnancy at the antenatal clinic at 24–28 gestational weeks. Of the mothers, 13.9% rated themselves as depressed (11.8%) or very depressed (2.1%) during pregnancy. Parents’ severe, hospital-treated mental disorders, and the cohort members’ mental disorders were identified mainly by using the Finnish Care Register for Health Care. In this study, the adult offspring of antenatally depressed mothers had an increased risk of depression, and the male offspring for antisocial personality disorder, compared to cohort members without antenatally depressed mothers. The offspring with both maternal antenatal depressed mood and parental severe mental disorder had a markedly elevated risk of schizophrenia and depression, compared to cohort members without one or both of the risk factors. This is the first study where the offspring of antenatally depressed mothers were followed till mid-adulthood, also taking into account parental severe mental disorders. Based on the findings, the prevention of and early intervention in antenatal depression, especially in families with severe mental illness, might present an opportunity to reduce the risk of mental disorders in the offspring. Tiivistelmä Äitien raskausajan masennus on yleistä, mutta pitkiä seurantatutkimuksia ...