Impact of parental psychopathology: Diagnosis, severity, or social status effects?

Abstract

Children with mothers who had a variety of psychiatric disturbances were studied in a longitudinal investigation from birth to four years of age. The children were assessed for cognitive and social-emotional functioning at each age and the scores related to maternal characteristics. The results were that specific maternal diagnoses of schizophrenia, neurotic depression, and personality disorder had few unique effects on child performance. Social status was the most important factor affecting cognitive development. The severity of the mother's disturbance was the most important factor affecting the child's social-emotional competence.