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Mother-child dynamics in early-onset depression and childhood schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

William L. Cook*
Affiliation:
Division of Child Development and Family Relationships, The University of Texas, Austin
Joan R. Asarnow
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute
Michael J. Goldstein
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
Valerie G. Marshall
Affiliation:
Los Angeles, CA
Edith Weber
Affiliation:
Los Angeles, CA
*
Address reprint requests to: William L. Cook, Divison of Child Development and Family Relationships, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 787121097.

Abstract

Family interaction patterns were compared for children with depressive disorders and children with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Results indicated that compared to SSD children, depressed children were less positive and more negative when interacting with their mothers. Additionally, depressed children did not significantly reciprocate positive or negative statements initiated by their mothers, whereas reciprocity of both positiveness and negativeness was a significant characteristic of the SSD children. While no between group differences were found in the base rates of mothers' positive and negative responses, mothers of SSD children were more likely than mothers of depressed children to reciprocate child negativeness. Maternal reciprocity of positive statements, while not discriminating diagnostic groups, was a significant characteristic only of mothers of depressed children. The implications of these results for theories of developmental psychopathology are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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