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The persistence of maternal distress and symptoms of distress in adult offspring

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Abstract

This study examined the influence of maternal psychological distress symptoms during offspring’s preschool, middle childhood, and adolescent years on the distress symptoms of offspring in adulthood. Data were derived from the British Cohort Study, a longitudinal study of children born in a one-week period in 1970. Results indicated that greater symptoms of maternal distress that persisted over multiple stages of offspring development were generally associated with greater symptoms of distress in adult offspring. The effect of greater maternal distress symptoms that persisted across preschool, middle childhood, and adolescence on adult offspring, however, was not significantly different from the long term effects of a single, but early, exposure to maternal distress once offspring’s psychosocial adjustment during adolescence was considered. The relationship between mother and offspring distress symptoms did not vary for male and female offspring. The results provide general support for a cumulative effect perspective in that continuous exposure to maternal distress symptoms had negative consequences in adulthood, and that the adult effect of exposure in early or middle childhood was explained by adolescent adjustment.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the Joint Centre for Longitudinal Research and the UK Data Archive for providing access to the data. I bear responsibility for analysis and interpretation of the data presented in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 455 Spadina Ave., Ste. 300, Toronto, ON, M5S 2G8, Canada

    Hayley A. Hamilton

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  1. Hayley A. Hamilton
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Correspondence to Hayley A. Hamilton.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Rutter Malaise Inventory

  1. 1.

    Often Have Backache

  2. 2.

    Tired Most of Time

  3. 3.

    Often Feel Depressed

  4. 4.

    Often Have Bad Headaches

  5. 5.

    Often Get Worried

  6. 6.

    Sleeping Difficulty

  7. 7.

    Waking Unnecessarily Early

  8. 8.

    Worn Out Worrying About Health

  9. 9.

    Often Get Into Violent Rage

  10. 10.

    Do People Annoy and Irritate

  11. 11.

    Had Twitching of Face,Head

  12. 12.

    Scared for No Good Reason

  13. 13.

    Scared to be Alone

  14. 14.

    Easily Upset or Irritated

  15. 15.

    Frightened of Going Out Alone

  16. 16.

    Constantly Keyed Up,Jittery

  17. 17.

    Suffer From Indigestion

  18. 18.

    Suffer From Upset Stomach

  19. 19.

    Is Appetite Poor

  20. 20.

    Everything Gets on Nerves

  21. 21.

    Does Heart Race

  22. 22.

    Often Have Bad Pains in Eyes

  23. 23.

    Rheumatism,Fibrositis

  24. 24.

    Had Nervous Breakdown (not included because not common to both mother and offspring measures)

Rutter A Scale (Problem Behavior Scale)

  1. 1.

    Very restless

  2. 2.

    Squirmy/fidgety

  3. 3.

    Often destroys belongings

  4. 4.

    Frequently fights with others

  5. 5.

    Not much liked by others

  6. 6.

    Often worried

  7. 7.

    Rather solitary

  8. 8.

    Irritable, quick to anger

  9. 9.

    Often appears miserable/unhappy

  10. 10.

    Twitches/mannerisms/tics

  11. 11.

    Frequently sucks thumb/fingers

  12. 12.

    Frequently bites nails/fingers

  13. 13.

    Often disobedient

  14. 14.

    Cannot settle to do things

  15. 15.

    Fearful/afraid of new things

  16. 16.

    Fussy or overparticular

  17. 17.

    Often tells lies

  18. 18.

    Bullies others

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Hamilton, H.A. The persistence of maternal distress and symptoms of distress in adult offspring. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 44, 732–739 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0497-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0497-3

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