Child Development: Participants and Method - Article Example

Child Development: Participants and Method Depression is a problem for adolescents that sometimes leads to suicide. Some children can be predisposed to depression because of their mothers, according to the research. The two studies chosen showed depression in two developmental stages: Infants and adolescence. In the first study, Gartstein and Bateman (2008) studied the influence that mothers who were depressed had on their infants. The study was a longitudinal study that began when the children were infants and continued until their toddler years so that the researchers could understand how these mothers affected their children over a period of time. Participants and Method The study was done in two phases. The first phase identified the parents that would take part in the study. Although over 300 parents applied, many were eliminated because they did not meet all the criteria for the study. Questionnaires were sent to 304 parents initially, but many either dropped out of the study or were eliminated because they did not complete their questionnaires in the time allotted. This meant that the sample size was only 83. All 83 families stayed in the study from the time their infants were 12 months old until they were 18 months old. The beginning questionnaires assessed demographics, the temperament of the infant, and their behavior. The second phase was conducted once the infants were 18 months old to assess the infant's depression-type symptoms and their temperament. Results The results of the study by Garstein and Bateman (2008) showed that when infants had less interaction from their mothers, the babies showed more depression-like symptoms. When parents had less depression, they reported that their children had less depression-like symptoms. This information suggested that toddlers who had a high incidence of negative emotions as infants showed depression later in life. Gartstein and Bateman (2008) also suggested that the mother's depression did not have to be clinical in nature in order to predict that their toddler would have depression. Study #2: Depression in Adolescents In the second study, Tully,Iacono and McGue (2008) studied adolescents who were adopted. The researchers wanted to find out whether adolescents who were adopted were more at risk of not only depression, but also whether they would be at risk for other psychopathology. Their hypothesis was that depression would happen more frequently in adolescents who had parents who were chronically depressed. Participants In order to conduct this study Tully, Iacono and McGue (2008) brought together 409 families that had adopted children and 208 families who had biological children. The participants came from another longitudinal study called the Sibling Interaction and Behavior Study. Adoptive families had adopted infants, and the children were now older. The researchers chose families with two adolescents between the ages of 11 and 20 and the siblings were close in age (no more than five years apart). The siblings were not related to each other. In the non-adoptive group, the siblings were biologically related to the parents. No step parents were included in this study. In the adoptive group 66.7% were Caucasian and 12.2% were different ethnicities. In the non-adopted group, 95.2% were Caucasian. The researchers stated that the study population was representative of Minnesota where the study was conducted. Method The method combined demographic information about the adolescent and their diagnosis of several different disorders. Some of the disorders that were included in the study were depression, ADHD and abuse or dependence on alcohol or drugs. The criteria for the disorders was taken from the DSM-IV-TR, the diagnostic manual for psychiatric conditions. Symptoms were reported by parents and matched the full criteria in the DSM-IV-TR. Also, data about the parent's depression was available for most of the families. A statistical analysis was done to test how maternal depression influenced the adolescents. Results Tully, Iacono and McGue (2008) found that when either or both parents had major depression the adolescents were more likely to have depression and other mental health issues, whether they were adopted or not. This finding also meant that adolescent psychopathology was higher when the mothers of the adolescents had major depression. Synthesis of the Articles Both studies were interested in the effects that depression had on children when their parents were depressed on a regular basis. Both studies found that the children, whether they were infants, toddlers, or adolescents, were affected by the mother's depression. Also, both studies used questionnaires and interviews at some point in their study. Tully, Iacono and McGue (2008) studied data from a related study. Both studies defined depression in the same way but they came at the topic differently. As an example, the study by Gartstein and Batemena (2008) made certain that the infants came from two biological parents while the study by Tully, Iacono and McGue (2008) compared results from biological families and adoptive families. What these studies tell us about child development is that children are very vulnerable when their mothers are depressed and growing up in the environment can have an adverse affect on the children. When mothers are depressed, they have a difficult time nurturing and dealing with their children's needs which can also create depression in both infants and adolescents. My Reaction In my opinion, the second research study by Tully, Iacono and McGue (2008) was easier to read and understand for the layperson. These researchers defined the study very well and provided an interesting look at depression when they used adolescents that were adopted. The research shed light on the fact that mothers who were depressed affect the behavior and emotions of their children, regardless of whether they are biological children or not. The study by Gartstein and Batemen (2008) was very difficult to understand because they used several acronyms which they did not define. Without the definitions the results of the study were difficult to find. I learned about depression and how it affects children in their development. I chose infants and adolescents because I was curious about how depression might overlap between infancy and adolescence. The studies showed that a child's behavior may continue to escalate as they grow older when the mother has chronic depression. This was particularly apparent in the study by Tully, Iacono and McGue (2008) because the infants were not only exhibiting depression, but they were also showing signs of other behavioral problems. One question that came to mind though was whether the adopted children had some of the challenges in their pathology from their biological parents; this information was not available. References Garstein, M.A. and Bateman, A.E. (2008). Early manifestations of childhood depression: Influences of infant temperament and parental depressive symptoms. Infant & Child Development. 17 (3), 223-248. doi: 10.1002/icd.549 Tully, E.C., Iacono, W.G. and McGue., M. (2008). An adoption study of parental depression as an environmental liability for adolescent depression and childhood disruption disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry. 165, (9), 1148-1154. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.07091438 Read More