The fallout from depression may be spreading from parents to their children, according to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, affecting more than 15 million American children. This conclusion is an outgrowth of studies that demonstrate how depression among parents may boost a child's risks emotional, behavioral and health problems.

Instead of treating the individual adult suffering from mental health issues, the report urges health professionals at every level to take more holistic, non-traditional approaches that can help entire families.

Researchers arrived at the minimum number of children affected by the parent's depression, thanks to the percentages. Nearly one out of five parents suffer from depression annually in America, not an alarming number until you consider some 15.6 million children live with a parent who has experienced depression over the past year. Even worse, just a third of adults seek out treatment for depression on their own, meaning the majority of problems among parents and their children will be ignored and undiagnosed.

healthfinder.gov June 10, 2009

National Research Council and Institute of Medicine June 10, 2009