Family conflict ‘sparks teen depression’

Teenagers face a greater risk of developing depression if their parents constantly bicker and show little affection or support for them.

Studies by researchers at Melbourne University have found that when it comes to predictors for clinical depression, families are just as important as genetics and other factors.

Professor of psychological sciences Nick Allen says children who are frequently criticised by mum and dad and receive little affection are at significantly higher risk of teenage depression.

"It's very characteristic of kids who are depressed and it also predicts kids who are going to get depressed," he told AAP.

"The thing that's most important is the relationship between the parent and the child, particularly the level of criticism and put downs and undermining of the adolescent."

An estimated one in five teenagers experience a serious depressive episode by their 18th birthday.

Those who suffer clinical depression in their teens are likely to continue to struggle with the condition as adults.

Prof Allen says while other risk factors such as a family history of depression cannot be altered, the level of conflict and criticism within families can.

He said parents who reduce their arguing and are more affectionate towards teenagers, particularly those genetically prone to depression, can help offset the risk of depression.

But he realised this could be tricky because teenagers still needed discipline and also often tried to distance themselves from their parents, he said.

"The family is still the environment teenagers spend most of their time in and it's very influential," Prof Allen said.

"And in fact for reasons that are easy for anyone who has teenage children to understand, family conflict peaks around the early adolescent years.

"That's when they are trying to stretch their wings and push the envelope a little bit and develop their independence.

"That involves some significant shifts on behalf of the parents as to how they parent their child, and a lot of parents find that quite challenging."

Prof Allen is due to deliver a keynote address on teenage depression at the Australian Psychological Society's educational and developmental psychology conference in Melbourne on Friday.

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