Behavioural Problems in Children of Mothers who had Depression.

INTRODUCTION: Parental psychiatric illness: The implications for children The risks for children with a mentally ill parent have been recognized And researched for over half a century (Janet, P. Et al., 1926 & Rutter, M. Et al., 1984). Since more patients are cared for in the community, more patients are Now parents (up to 60%) and many care for young children (Oates, M. Et al., 2001). Advances in our understanding of genetics mean that the heritability of Specific major illnesses has been calculated. Bipolar disorder is estimated to Have a heritability of 80%, depression 34 - 48% and schizophrenia 75% (Rutter, M. Et al., 1999). Unipolar depression is to be ranked fourth by 2020 in the measure of Disability adjusted life years. Given the high prevalence of depression, this puts a Large number of children at risk of developing future psychiatric problems. Psychological development of a child depends on the interaction of biological Self and behaviour with the environment. The child actively interacts with the Environment and the whole development is better understood by the social Learning model. Children of mothers with depression suffer from both a Vulnerable biology and the effects of faulty parenting. Not only that, these Children also have poor models to emulate. The dynamic interaction of these Factors predisposes them to emotional and behavioral disturbances. The impact of parental mental illness on children is important in Everyday clinical practice and the subject of a recent Royal College of Psychiatrists report. There has been considerable attention paid to the link Between fatal child abuse and parental mental illness. The services that may Support families and children have received rather less attention until recently (Gopfert, M. Et al., 1996; Weir, et al., 1999 & Reder, P. Et al., 2000). All preventive strategies have to be focussed on the developing brain and Psyche as psychological and social derangements in early life leave children with Working models that are faulty. These models then become deeply ingrained to The extent that they influence feelings, thoughts and behaviour unconsciously and Automatically later in adult life. Hence there is a great need for early intervention. The preventive interventions employed can be classified as universal Interventions and targeted interventions. Whereas in a universal intervention Strategy, all people in a geographical area are involved; in targeted interventions, Only people at high risk of developing the illness are targeted. The targeted Interventions can be either selective ( i.e) children of parents with mood disorders Or indicative ( i .e) children showing mild symptoms of conduct disorders. Sound knowledge regarding the emotional problems in children of Depressed mothers would form the primary requisite for the more ambitious “selective-targeted interventions to prevent future psychiatric disturbances” in this Group at risk