The impact of parental depression on offspring differed by developmental period with minimal impact seen in younger children (8 and 11 years) while maternal depression occurring when the offspring were adolescents did appear to influence the likelihood that the offspring would experience an internalizing disorder, though the effect was not significant. Similarly, parental drug dependence when offspring were children did not elevate the offspring’s risk for psychopathology, but during adolescence the risk for developing externalizing disorders or “any disorder” was greatly elevated in association with parental drug dependence.
