Reduced reward responsiveness moderates the effect of maternal depression on depressive symptoms in offspring: evidence across levels of analysis

Background: Reduced reward responsiveness (RR) may contribute to depression vulnerability. At the neurophysiological level, RR is reliably and validly assessed using the reward positivity (RewP) event-related potential component. We previously identified a blunted RewP in 9-year-old children at high risk for depression due to maternal depression, but the role of RR in pathways from parental history to the development of depressive symptoms has not been examined. Methods: At age 9, never-depressed children (N = 369) completed a task in which RewP was measured in response to monetary reward and loss feedback. Parental history of depression was assessed using semistructured interviews, and children reported on their depressive symptoms. At age 12, youth depressive symptoms were reassessed, along with a self-report measure of RR. We tested RR as a moderator of the effects of parental depression on depressive symptoms at age 12, using both neurophysiological and self-report measures and controlling for age 9 symptoms. Results: Main effects of RR and interactions with maternal depression were significant. Maternal depression predicted greater depressive symptoms in youth with blunted and average RewP but was not a significant predictor in youth with an enhanced RewP. A similar pattern was observed for self-reported RR. The two measures of RR were not correlated with each other and accounted for unique variance in symptoms. Interactions between RR and paternal depression were not significant. Conclusions: Reduced RR, as measured by neurophysiology and self-report, moderates the effects of maternal depression on depressive symptoms in offspring. Assessment of RR along with risk factors such as parental depression may aid in identifying children at greatest risk and enhancing RR could be a potential target for prevention. Results highlight the utility of multimethod approaches for advancing understanding of depression risk.