Explorations of Parenting Environments in the Evolution of Psychiatric Problems in Children

摘要

Understanding the genetic basis for behavior has fascinated the field of psychiatry for the past two decades. However, in this decade, it is again becoming apparent that understanding salient social environments, particularly early adverse caregiver/off-spring relationships, is also necessary to the understanding of the etiology of psychiatric symptoms. Biological parents with psychiatric disorders who are rearing their own children may heighten risk for their children both by transmitting genes and by their role in shaping an adverse rearing environment. This issue of the Journal contains four articles on parental risk factors-in particular, parental depression and/or antisocial behaviors, including abuse-and their consequences for the offspring.