The Moderating Role of Maternal Depression in the Relation Between Adolescent Behavioral Inhibition and Maternal Critical Expressed Emotion

Behavioral inhibition is associated with a range of negative affective states and behaviors in adolescents which may elicit critical expressed emotion (EE-Crit) among mothers. Whether the relation between adolescent behavioral inhibition and maternal EE-Crit may depend on the presence of maternal depression is unknown. Therefore, a total of N = 81 biological mother/adolescent daughter dyads were recruited: mothers with a history of major depressive disorder (n = 45) and never-depressed mothers (non-depressed: n = 36). Structured clinical interviews were administered, daughters reported their behavioral inhibition and mothers reported daughter-directed maternal EE-Crit. Maternal depression was a moderator such that higher daughter behavioral inhibition was associated with greater EE-Crit among depressed mothers, specifically. There were no group differences for daughter behavioral inhibition or maternal EE-Crit. These findings highlight the significant role that maternal depression may play in relation to adolescent behavioral inhibition, EE-Crit, and risk for the development of adolescent psychopathology.