Objective: This study investigated whether there were associations between family structure in childhood and lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder in adulthood in a representative national sample of 4918 Blacks in the United States. We explored whether the associations between family structure and depressive disorder differed based on four types of family structure: (1) the presence of both biological parents; (2) one biological parent and a nonbiological parent; (3) one biological parent and (4) neither biological parent.
Method: The data used were from the National Survey of American Life.
Results: In the adjusted analysis, among all respondents, higher odds of major depressive disorder in adulthood were associated with growing up with one biological parent and a nonbiological parent compared to those who grew up with both biological parents. In the analysis stratified by gender, only women who lived with one biological parent and a nonbiological parent during childhood had an increased risk of depressive disorder in adulthood.
Conclusions: Growing up in a household with one biological parent and a nonbiological parent was positively associated with depressive disorder in adulthood among Black women. Future studies should continue to explore the pathways linking family structure in childhood to the long-term consequences of depressive disorder.