ATLANTA, March 20 (UPI) -- Family caregivers with moderate to severe depressive symptoms showed greater hostility and less warmth to their ill children, a U.S. study found.
Study leader Marianne Celano of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta utilized data from Project STAR -- Support for Treatment of Asthma Research -- a longitudinal study examining treatment adherence among low-income children with asthma.
Family members were videotaped in the clinic while completing structured tasks and caregivers were later rated on warmth, hostility and disciplinary skill.
The study, published in the journal Family Process, said caregivers with higher levels of depressive symptoms exhibited lower levels of warmth and higher levels of hostility during both loss and conflict tasks.
"The present findings provide an initial step in a pre-intervention research program investigating the contribution of caregiver depressive symptoms and associated parenting styles," the authors said in a statement. "Our data may aid mental health clinicians in identifying specific family interaction patterns which may promote optimal asthma management."
