Predictors of Parent-Child Endorsement Discrepancies Among Ethnic Minority and Low-Income Youth at Chronic-Risk for Depression

Introduction:

Depressive disorders are some of the most common mental health problems among U.S. adolescents, particularly among Latino youth (Merikangas et al., 2010). Parent–child ratings of youth depression show only low-to-moderate agreement, and parental recognition of youth depression may be a key factor in initiating early intervention. Parent–child discrepancies in ratings of youth emotional and behavioral problems have been linked to factors such as parental depression and ethnicity. However, research has failed to examine discrepancies in populations with the highest levels of unmet need and much less is known about patterns of parent–child agreement in ratings of depression among ethnic minority families in community samples.

Methods:

Using a sample of 313 low-income, predominantly Latino students at chronic risk for depression, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to uncover patterns of parent–child endorsement of core diagnostic depressive symptoms.

Results:

Three classes emerged, including classes characterized by high endorsement and agreement (HH), low endorsement and agreement (LH), and high youth endorsement and low agreement (HCL). Multinomial regression models revealed that prior mental health service use, higher comorbid externalizing problems, and parental Spanish interview language were associated with HCL class membership, in which parents under-reported core depressive symptoms, relative to youth themselves.

Conclusions:

Findings provide evidence that clinical and sociodemographic factors impact parental endorsement of youth depression and suggest that psychoeducation aimed at increasing parental awareness of youth depression and minimizing stigma may increase access to mental health services among youth with chronic depression.