Depression in Children Associated with Poor Psychosocial Functioning in Adulthood

Lamprini Psychogiou, PhD

Credit: University of Exeter

Screening and monitoring children and adolescents for symptoms of depression may help to reduce the likelihood of depression and impaired psychosocial functioning in young adulthood.

According to research published in Jama Network Open, exhibiting depression symptoms during childhood and adolescence increased the odds of impaired adult psychosocial functioning.¹

Data from a US study showed 3.2% of children aged 3 to 17 years exhibited depression—a leading cause of disability and leading contributor to global disease burden—with prevalence rates increasing alongside age.²

“Because available studies do not often examine depression symptoms during childhood, it is not yet clear whether symptoms occurring during early (ages 1.5 to 6 years) and middle (ages 7 to 12 years) childhood and adolescence (ages 13 to 17 years) are independently associated with adult mental health and psychosocial outcomes,” wrote a team of investigators led by Lamprini Psychogiou, PhD, senior lecturer in the School of Psychology, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.

To understand the link between childhood depression and adult mental health, investigators conducted a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study using a representative population-based group of Canadian infants from the ongoing Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Researchers collect data every 1 to 2 years and the entire cohort includes children and adults aged 5 months to 21 years.

In the current study, subjects were born between October 1, 1997, and July 31, 1998. and the end date for data collection was June 30, 2019. Analyses were conducted from October 4, 2022, to January 3, 2024. The symptoms of depression were evaluated using maternal reports in early childhood (ages 1.5 to 6 years), teacher reports in middle childhood (ages 7 to 12 years), and self-reports in adolescence (ages 13 to 17).

The primary outcome of the study was depression symptoms at age 20, while the secondary outcomes were the indicators of psychosocial functioning at age 21. These factors included perceived stress; not being in education, employment, or training; binge drinking; experiencing online harassment; and social support.

In total, 2120 infants were included in the cohort. Depression symptoms during the adolescence period were linked to higher levels of depression symptoms and perceived stress in early adulthood. Middle childhood and adolescent depression symptoms were associated with decreased social support in early adulthood, regardless of early risk factors.

Interestingly, particularly high depression symptoms in middle childhood were not linked to higher levels of depression and perceived stress in young adults compared with their peers. Similarly, persistently elevated depression symptoms in adolescence did not correlate to higher levels of not being in education, employment, or training in comparison with other subjects in the cohort.

No associations were observed between depression in childhood and binge drinking, not attending higher education or training, being unemployed, or experiencing online harassment.

Investigators noted neither the onset or course of depression were collected in this study; therefore, future research should focus on the trajectory of symptoms and their impact on early adulthood. Additionally, the cohort study did not include information about psychological treatment or antidepressant medication, which may have affected symptoms and outcomes in adulthood.

“The findings have implications for mental health interventions,” investigators concluded. “It is of clinical importance to identify children and adolescents experiencing depression early to decrease depression symptoms and prevent compromised functioning. Our findings suggest that mental health interventions including interpersonal/social components may improve psychosocial functioning in adulthood.”

References

1. ^{Psychogiou L, Navarro MC, Orri M, Côté SM, Ahun MN. Childhood and Adolescent Depression Symptoms and Young Adult Mental Health and Psychosocial Outcomes. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2425987. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.25987}
2. ^{Ghandour RM, Sherman LJ, Vladutiu CJ, et al. Prevalence and treatment of depression, anxiety, and conduct problems in US children. J Pediatr. 2019;206:256-267.e3. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.09.021}