The proposed study examines the effect of maternal depression on young adult outcomes in a unique community sample of Australian youth who have previously been studied by the investigators at age 15. The youth and their families are a high-risk sample from a birth cohort study in Queensland, Australia. The original birth cohort study by Australian investigators included interviews of mothers at pregnancy, birth, and six-months post-partum, with evaluations at children's ages 5 and 14 to assess socio-demographic predictors of health and child development. The 15-year-old follow-up by the present investigators focused intensively on maternal depression and child mental health and adjustment. The present proposal is for a follow-up at age 20 with these youth, their peers, and their mothers in order to address a number of gaps in the field concerning the transition to adulthood for high-risk youth. The proposed follow-up period marks the challenging developmental transition, and it is expected that during this period the youth in the sample will encounter significant stress, and will be particularly susceptible to depressive outcomes. The two primary aims of the study are (1) to examine the diagnostic outcomes, as well as functional impairments in high-risk youth from the ages of 15 to 20 years as well as the role of paternal psychopathology, co-morbidity, protective factors and gender in this process; and (2) to examine interpersonal models of intergenerational transmission of depression, and models of the stress-depression relationship as relevant to the period of early adulthood.
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