Research Identifies Changes in Attention to Emotions as Early Indicator of Depression Risk in Children

Ciara Bogdanovic, a psychotherapist and founder of Sagebrush Psychotherapy, commented on the study, stating that it illustrates how depression may influence children's attention to emotional information. She noted that while cognitive biases have typically been viewed as precursors to depression, the findings suggest a different dynamic. Specifically, children showing depressive symptoms may be less likely to notice happy faces, instead focusing more on sad expressions.

The study indicated that children with a maternal history of major depressive disorder (MDD) showed increased attention to sad faces as their depressive symptoms escalated. Conversely, children without a maternal history of MDD tended to pay less attention to happy faces as depressive symptoms worsened. Bogdanovic pointed out that these changes in attention could potentially exacerbate depressive symptoms and diminish protective factors.

Researchers from the Mood Disorders Institute at Binghamton University investigated how depression develops in children and adolescents and whether shifts in attention to emotional cues correlate with depressive symptoms. Previous studies have suggested that individuals with depression generally pay more attention to sad faces, but the relationship has been modest and contentious.

In this study, 242 children and their mothers were tracked over two years, with assessments occurring every six months. During each session, children viewed pairs of faces—one neutral and the other displaying an emotional expression (happy, sad, or angry). Eye-tracking technology measured children's attention toward these faces and the duration of their gaze.

The results revealed that children are affected differently by depressive symptoms, based on their family history. For those whose mothers had a history of MDD, rising depressive symptoms correlated with greater focus on sad facial expressions. In contrast, children without this familial background simply showed reduced interest in happy expressions as depressive symptoms increased.

Lead author Kelly Gair, a Ph.D. student at Binghamton University, emphasized the novel aspect of the research, which examined how depressive symptoms and attention patterns influence each other over time rather than simply identifying a one-way cause and effect. The team plans to follow the participants into adolescence, a crucial period when the risk for depression often rises.

Bogdanovic highlighted additional signs of depression in children, advising parents to look for increased sadness or irritability, social withdrawal, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, changes in sleep or appetite, and difficulties concentrating. She noted that in children, depression might manifest more as irritability or behavioral changes rather than overt sadness.