Project 173082

Depression and alcohol abuse are common health problems in Canada. Unfortunately, these problems also tend to run in families. Millions of children are put at risk for mental health problems as result of living with a parent with a depressive illness or addiction to alcohol. It is unclear what accounts for this risk and how best to promote the health and development of these children. Our research examines the contribution of parental depression and alcohol misuse to the onset of emotional, behavioral and social problems in their children. We will use data that were collected from a cohort of parents and children in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). Our research will address three research questions: 1. Do parental depression and alcohol misuse have added or interactive effects on the onset of child outcome? In other words, does the co-existence (or "comorbidity) of these problems in parents have a greater impact on children's mental health than would be predicted by each problem alone? 2. Are these effects consistent from early childhood to late adolescence? 3. Are these effects explained by changes to the child's social environment (e.g., parent-child hostility, poor parental monitoring, or family dysfunction)? Our research will also explore developmental changes these mediators across stages of child development. An accelerated longitudinal design will enable us to follow a cross-section of age groups over a period of 12 years in a way that allows us to study change from ages 4 to 23. This research will give us a better understanding the how mental illness and alcohol problems are passed down from parents to children. Our findings will enhance treatment interventions and community-based policies and programs that aim to increase resilience among children who are exposed to mental illness or alcohol misuse in their parents.