BackgroundIt is estimated that 78% of children experience the death of a close friend or family member by 16 years of age, yet longitudinal research examining the mental health outcomes of wider experiences of bereavement is scarce. We conducted a longitudinal investigation of the association between maternal experienced bereavement before the age of 11 years and offspring depressive and anxiety disorders at age 18 and examined moderation of this association by modifiable parental factors.MethodsWe analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK‐based birth cohort, including 9,088 child participants with data available on bereavement. Bereavement was measured via maternal report at eight timepoints until children were 11 years. Offspring depressive and anxiety‐related disorders were self‐reported at 18 years old using the Clinical Interview Schedule‐Revised (CIS‐R). The potential moderating roles of maternal anxiety, maternal depression, parental monitoring, positive parenting and negative parenting practices were examined.ResultsMaternal experienced bereavement was not associated with depression or anxiety‐related disorders in early adulthood among offspring. In addition, no support was found for negative parenting practices, parental monitoring or maternal anxiety and depression as moderators of the relationship between maternal experienced bereavement and offspring mental health problems at 18 years old. Findings in relation to the moderating role of positive parenting practices were inconsistent.ConclusionsFindings suggest that a large number of children are exposed to maternal experienced bereavement. We found no evidence that maternal experienced bereavement during childhood increases the risk for offspring psychiatric disorders in early adulthood. Several methodological considerations prudent to bereavement research are discussed.

中文翻译：

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母亲经历丧亲之痛和后代成年早期的心理健康：可改变的父母因素的作用

背景据估计，78% 的儿童在 16 岁时经历了亲密朋友或家人的去世，但对更广泛的丧亲经历的心理健康结果进行纵向研究却很少。我们对 11 岁之前经历过丧亲之痛的母亲与 18 岁时的后代抑郁和焦虑症之间的关联进行了一项纵向调查，并通过可改变的父母因素检验了这种关联的调节作用。方法我们分析了雅芳父母和儿童纵向研究的数据，一个总部位于英国的出生队列，包括 9,088 名儿童参与者，并提供有关丧亲之痛的数据。通过母亲报告在八个时间点测量丧亲之痛，直至孩子 11 岁。后代在 18 岁时使用临床访谈表修订版 (CIS-R) 自我报告抑郁和焦虑相关疾病。研究了母亲焦虑、母亲抑郁、父母监督、积极养育和消极养育行为的潜在调节作用。结果母亲经历的丧亲之痛与后代成年早期的抑郁或焦虑相关疾病无关。此外，没有发现消极的养育方式、父母的监督或母亲的焦虑和抑郁可以作为母亲经历丧亲之痛与子女 18 岁时心理健康问题之间关系的调节因素。关于积极养育行为的调节作用的研究结果并不一致。结论研究结果表明，大量儿童经历过母亲的丧亲之痛。我们没有发现任何证据表明母亲在童年时期经历丧亲之痛会增加后代成年早期精神疾病的风险。讨论了丧亲研究的几个谨慎的方法论考虑因素。