There is a growing body of evidence that, typically, parents and children coordinate their affect, behavior, physiology, and even brain patterns during meaningful interactions. This coordination is often referred to synchrony - the matching of each other's rhythms in real- time. Yet, for families affected by mental health challenges such as a history of maternal depression, synchrony may be attenuated or may take on a different meaning.

 

To better understand the role of biobehavioral synchrony in conferring risk or resilience for depression, we are currently seeking mothers and daughters to participate in a research study in our laboratory. Families will complete a one-time 3-hour study visit at Auburn. During the study, we will ask mothers and daughters to discuss a recent conflict and to plan a fun activity together. We will also assess their biology during the discussion and ask them to answer questions. Results of this study may help us better understand girls’ risk for developing depression or pinpoint what makes girls resilient.

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Eligibility criteria include:
Girls ages 8-12
English fluency
Maternal history of depression

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Girls and their mothers will each earn $50 ($100 total) for their participation.

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If you are interested in participating in the Risk and Resilience to The Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Depressive Symptoms Study, please contact us via the form below. You can also email us with any questions at auburnflowerlab@gmail.com.