Treatment of Maternal Depression in a Medication Clinical Trial and Its Effect on Children

Objective:Observational studies show that when a depressed mother’s symptoms remit, her children’s psychiatric symptoms decrease. Using randomized treatment assignment, the authors sought to determine the differential effects of a depressed mother’s treatment on her child.Method:The study was a randomized double-blind 12-week trial of escitalopram, bupropion, or the combination of the two in depressed mothers (N=76), with independent assessment of their children (N=135; ages 7–17 years).Results:There were no significant treatment differences in mothers’ depressive symptoms or remission. Children’s depressive symptoms and functioning improved significantly among those whose mothers were in the escitalopram group (compared with those whose mothers were in the bupropion and combination treatment groups). Only in the escitalopram group was significant improvement of mother’s depression associated with improvement in the child’s symptoms. Exploratory analyses suggested that this may be due to changes in parent...