Letcher, PrimroseGreenwood, C JRomaniuk, HelenaSpry, ElizabethMacdonald, Jacqui AMcAnally, HelenaThomson, Kimberly CYoussef, GeorgeHutchinson, Delyse MMcIntosh, Jennifer E.Edwards, Ben2022-09-290165-0327http://hdl.handle.net/1885/274200Background Parental depression and anxiety have been consistently linked to offspring behavior problems across childhood. However, many of the risks for these common mental health problems are established well before pregnancy. This study takes advantage of rare, prospective data to examine relations between parental mental health histories (from adolescence onwards) and next generation offspring behavior problems. Methods Data were drawn from a multi-generational cohort study that has followed Australians from infancy to adulthood since 1983, and 1171 of their offspring assessed prospectively from pregnancy. Generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate associations between parents’ depression/anxiety symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood and offspring behavior problems at 1 year. Results In analyses of 648 mother-infant and 423 father-infant dyads, after adjustment for confounders and concurrent mental health problems, mean behavior problem scores in infants of mothers with a history of mental health problems in both adolescence and young adulthood were over half a standard deviation higher than those of mothers without problems during these periods, B = 2.19, 95% CI 1.21 – 3.17, β = 0.52. No association was observed for fathers. Limitations We only included infants born to participants aged 29–35 years and we assessed behavior problems via parent-report. Conclusions A mother's history of persistent depression and anxiety from adolescence to young adulthood can predict higher levels of behavior problems in her infant. Findings support calls for greater policy and prevention focus on preconception and postnatal mental health, particularly a mother's early emotional health history, prior to parenthood.This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [DP130101459; DP160103160; DP180102447] and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia[APP1082406]. CAO is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council fel- lowship [Investigator grant APP1175086]. Declaration of Competing Interestapplication/pdfen-AU© 2020 Elsevier B.V.PreconceptionDepressionAnxietyInfant behavior problemsIntergenerational transmission202010.1016/j.jad.2020.03.1012021-11-28