In this report brief, the Committee on Depression, Parenting Practices and the Healthy Development of Children discuss the optimal system of care to treat depressed parents and children.
From the report:
Today, depression can be accurately identified and effectively treated in many adults. But successful treatment depends partly on the context in which the person lives, and parenting status often is not considered or identified. There is no comprehensive treatment strategy that supports mothers and fathers with depression and includes efforts to evaluate, treat, or prevent problems in their children.
To address these issues, the Committee on Depression, Parenting Practices, and the Healthy Development of Children, through the NRC-IOM Board on Children, Youth, and Families, conducted a study of identification, treatment, and prevention interventions for depressed parents and their children. With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The California Endowment, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a committee of experts convened to highlight the ideal system of care for depressed parents and their children, examine barriers to care, and identify strategies to facilitate the implementation of effective interventions in different service settings for a diverse population of children.
Full report: Depression in Parents, Parenting and Children: Opportunities to Improve Identification, Treatment and Prevention (PDF | 5.72 MB)
The National Academies: Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering and Medicine. (2009). Depression in parents, parenting and children: opportunities to improve identification, treatment and prevention.
