Early Adversity, Maternal Depression Linked to Teen Mental Health Risk

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Teens who faced high levels of emotional and multidimensional adversity in their early years are at the most significant risk for mental health challenges, a comprehensive 15-year study has revealed.

These teens also exhibit significant differences in brain activity related to emotion processing, according to University of Michigan research published in JAMA Network Open.

The study tracked over 4,000 youths from birth to age 15, examining how a range of childhood adversities—such as maltreatment, family violence, and maternal depression—affect later mental health and brain function.

The findings showed that youth exposed to high levels of adversity in multiple contexts (home, family, neighborhood) suffered worse mental health outcomes and altered brain function. Notably, maternal depression alone could produce similar negative effects, even when other adversities were only moderate.

“Adverse childhood experiences occurring within and outside the home are considered pervasive risk factors for poor health,” said Christopher Monk, professor of psychology and psychiatry and research professor at the U-M Institute of Social Research.

“The impact of adverse childhood experiences unfortunately can span years of development,” said U-M alum Felicia Hardi, now a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University. “Individuals at the greatest risk of harm are those who are growing up in environments with many different risk factors and those with parents who have poor mental health.”

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-early-adversity-maternal-depression-linked.html