Using the Beck Depression Inventory, researchers evaluated 46 chronically depressed mothers who reported depressive symptoms two days after giving birth and compared them with 103 mothers reporting no depression. Six years later, children from each group were assessed for psychiatric disorders, social engagement, and empathy.
Results showed that 61 percent of children of depressed mothers were diagnosed with Axis I disorders using DSM-IV criteria; they primarily had anxiety, oppositional defiance, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders.
Read the full, original story here: Genetic Variation in Depressed Mothers Tied to Psychiatric Illness in Children