Aim: The aim of this study was comparing behavioral disorders in students with depressed and non-depressed mothers.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted among 35 (7-11 years old) children of depressed mothers as a case group and 35 children of healthy mothers as control group in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2015-16. The sample size was selected by multistage random cluster sampling. Research tools were Beck Depression Inventory, and Rutter behavioral disorders questionnaire. Data were analyzed using T-tests in the SPSS software (ver. 18).
Findings: Based on the findings of this study, more depressed mothers have children with more behavioral disorder. Aggression, hyperactivity, depression, anxiety, social dysfunction, and anti-social behaviors were seen more among students with depressed mothers comparing to students with non-depressed mothers.
Conclusion: Maternal depression is related to a wide range of child outcomes, and the effects continue from birth into adulthood. Children of depressed mothers are two to three times more likely to develop a mood disorder, and are at increased risk for impaired functioning across multiple domains, including cognitive, social and academic functioning, and poor physical health. At the same time, many children of depressed mothers develop normally. Therefore, the key research goal is to understand the pathways and processes through which maternal depression affects children. Child psychological counseling and psychiatric management along with mothers’ treatment is advisable.