Genetic, behavioural and cognitive mechanisms underpinning the association between mother and offspring mental health problems: mental (M) health (H) intergenerational transmission (INT) -(MHINT)

Project Information

MHINT

Grant agreement ID: 758813

DOI

10.3030/758813

Project closed

EC signature date 15 December 2017

Start date 1 December 2017

End date 30 November 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 499 611,00

EU contribution

€ 1 499 611,00

Coordinated by

THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 5 - MHINT (Genetic, behavioural and cognitive mechanisms underpinning the association between mother and offspring mental health problems: mental (M) health (H) intergenerational transmission (INT) -(MHINT))

Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2023-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Despite decades of research, and the introduction of parenting interventions, children of mentally ill mothers remain substantially more likely to have mental health problems themselves. I propose to shed new light on why mental health problems in a mother are passed on to her child, and help break this reinforcing cycle of mental health risk across generations. In order to harness the potential of modifying parenting for the prevention of child mental health risk, I will study parenting using more detailed, ecologically valid and genetically sensitive designs than have been done before.

Objectives:

1: To investigate the respective role of genetic and environmental (chiefly parenting) mechanisms in explaining associations between mother and child mental health. HOW: using a consortium of international cohorts with intergenerational genetic and phenotypic data (n>10,000) and, for the first time, modelling genetic risk which is and is not transmitted from mother to child to test alternative hypotheses.

2: To identify behavioural manifestation of maternal mental health, in observed mother-infant interaction, in an ecologically valid way. HOW: recording 300 mother- child dyads at home, using novel wearable cameras, in the next generation of a key cohort (ALSPAC-G2).

3: To identify cognitive underpinnings of maternal behaviour. HOW: including cognitive tasks (with eye tracking) as new measures in ALSPAC-G2, applying computational models to cognitive and (uniquely) real life data (measured in 2).

4: To establish whether modification of maternal parenting (highlighted in 1-3), changes child mental health. HOW: systematic review of parenting intervention trials and new synthesis methods to extract which intervention components reduce child mental health problems.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In total the project published 46 papers by 2025 with more in progress and developed new technology and methods now being used all over the world.

Work Package 1

We developed 'clusters' of several domains of maternal and paternal parenting behaviours (such as conflict or warmth) over the life course, showing and quantifying the proportion of pathways from parent to child mental health can be explained by differences in specific parent domains. We devised methodology for novel genetic analysis, with a meta-analysis across 7 cohorts some of which had to not previously used the methodology or collected genetic data, separating out genetic and non genetic pathways from parent to child depression and the role of genetic similarity in emotional response.

Work Package 2

Following 2 very successfully internationally attended workshop we confirmed new mental health measures in the second generation of ALSPAC including impulsivity, social support and further depression. We also established a video collection protocol as demonstrated in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXuCSXKXteY&feature=youtu.be. We have a completed the development of an in-depth coding system in observer XT and development of a comprehensive manual for micro-coding, including 4 subjects, 27 behavioural categories, 34 modifier categories and published the novel micro-coding system: https://osf.io/preprints/s6n4h which has over 200 downloads.

We have worked with an industry partner https://www.kinneirdufort.com/ to co-produce a new user friendly wearable head camera to improve data collection. We have also developed automated techniques to process facial expressions. We co-produced a wearable camera system and integrated technology. We have used the systems to collect 220 family’s data nested in ALSPAC and supported collection in Liverpool for over 150 teens, and 120 in South Africa in an RCT. We developed and introduced cognitive measures, currently in submission and pre-printed to https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/q3r8s and part of a successful PhD.

Work Package 3

We completed a review protocol which is published. We extracted data from 59 Randomised Control Trials, including 30% with previously unpublished data, this was published in BMJ mental health. We presented evidence that relational components of parenting interventions can prevent later child metal health problems, but that wait list control groups have a negative impact, has been picked up in media and policy around the impact of waiting lists on child and parent mental health and need to focus on relational approaches.

Work Package 4

We developed innovative engagement events to enable meaningful dissemination and co-design of future work, including hosting a live theatre performance of characters, this was later filmed, a mobile van research tour, and an immersive CAVE experience showcasing video footage and developed a concept called DREAM DAG to co-design analysis by mapping causal diagrams with those with lived experience.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We have identified components of parenting that mediate associations between parental and offspring depression , established a novel and detailed mirco-coding observer system and protocol to collect home videos this will make real progress in understanding parenting. Our open access coding process manual has been downloaded 400 times and used all over the world.

We have developed a new bespoke wearble camera with our industry partner Cubik and novel coding methods. The use of synchronised footage and application to video -feedback is unique, the adoption of the technique was unexpected and success of the emotion reading software in predicting outcomes through relational signatures. This is now being used in multiple settings, for example in an application for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership to work on human reaction to dogs in training for dogs for the deaf, for use in family therapy in UK and Chile and to support a scale up of early years video feedback.

The use of genetic trio data and similarity scores across multiple cohorts has also led to new thinking in the role of genetics across families. We have established methods to explore the role of genetic associations and established collaborations we expect to make an important step change in our understanding of how maternal depression influences offspring.

Mum and baby using the cameras (with permission)