| Abstract: | Research to date suggests that the family plays a significant role in the development, perpetuation, and relapse of depression in its members. This study examined the videotaped interactions of parents with a depressed adolescent and control parents and youth during a conflictual, problem-solving task. In comparison with parents of nondepressed adolescents, parents of depressed adolescents engaged in higher rates of incongruent communication in which aversive content behavior was linked with positive affective behavior. Adolescent depressed content behavior led to greater suppression of parent aversive content behavior in nondepressed families than in depressed families. The findings argue that dysfunctional family communication may be associated with the development or maintenance of depression in the child. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
