Water contaminant levels interact with parenting environment to predict development of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Issue 1 (17th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Manczak, Erika M.; Miller, Jonas G.; Gotlib, Ian H.
• Is Part Of: Developmental science. Volume 23:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2019-05-17
• Subjects: depressive symptoms -- environmental contamination -- family relationships -- lead -- psychological health -- water quality; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Comparative -- Periodicals; 155
• DOI: 10.1111/desc.12838
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1363-755X

Abstract

Abstract: Contaminants in drinking water, such as lead, nitrate, and arsenic, have been linked to negative physical health outcomes. We know less, however, about whether such pollutants also predict mental health problems and, if so, the conditions under which such effects are strongest. In this longitudinal study, we examined whether drinking water contaminants interact with negative family environments (parental psychological control) to predict changes in depressive symptoms in 110 adolescents—a developmental period when symptoms often first emerge. We found that for adolescents in psychologically controlling families, levels of drinking water contaminants prospectively predicted depressive symptoms 2 years later; this effect was not present in adolescents in non‐controlling families. Importantly, these associations were not accounted for by family‐ or community‐level socioeconomic resources, demographic features, or by the adolescents' stress exposure. These findings highlight the interplay of physical and psychological environments in influencing depressive symptoms in adolescents. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/thBV-DwnGcY Abstract : Levels of several contaminants assessed by the California Environmental Protection Agency in the drinking water systems of 110 families were found to interact with parental psychological control to predict changes in adolescent depressive symptoms over a two‐year period.