In a groundbreaking study, Binghamton University doctoral student Elana Israel, alongside Psychology Professor Brandon Gibb, explores the impact of parental depression on children’s neural responses to feedback. Their research, set to be published in the February 2026 edition of the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, highlights how a specific symptom of depression, known as anhedonia, may significantly influence this dynamic.
Anhedonia, characterized by a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, is identified as a potential factor affecting how children’s brains react to positive and negative feedback. The study’s findings suggest that children with parents experiencing high levels of anhedonic symptoms may exhibit reduced neural responses to rewards and losses, compared to those whose parents display other depressive symptoms.
Exploring the Link Between Parental Depression and Child Development
Israel and Gibb’s research builds upon existing studies that have established a connection between parental depression and children’s reward processing. “We know that children who have a parent with a history of depression are more likely to develop depression themselves than children of parents who don’t have a history of depression,” Israel explained. “Our lab focuses on the neurobiological factors that might help to explain this risk.”
To investigate this further, the researchers conducted a reward processing experiment involving over 200 families. Parents completed questionnaires assessing their depressive symptoms, while children, aged 7 to 11, participated in a task designed to measure brain activity through electroencephalogram (EEG) readings. The task involved guessing which of two doors concealed a prize, with correct guesses resulting in monetary rewards.
Key Findings and Implications
The study revealed that children of parents with higher anhedonic symptoms showed a diminished neural response to both winning and losing money. In contrast, other depressive symptoms in parents did not exhibit a similar correlation. “What that tells us is that there is something specific about parents’ anhedonia that may impact children’s neural responses,” Israel noted.
Gibb emphasized the broader implications of these findings, stating, “If parents are experiencing forms of depression where they’re not enjoying things and aren’t interested in things, that seems to be impacting how their kids are responding to what’s going on around them. They’re less reactive to positive things and negative things.”
“It seems that parents’ experiences of anhedonia is the key feature of depression impacting how children’s brains are responding, at least in our study, rather than other common symptoms of depression.” – Brandon Gibb
Future Research and Potential Interventions
Looking ahead, the researchers stress the importance of examining how family dynamics evolve when parents with anhedonic symptoms begin to recover. As children mature, understanding changes in their responses to social feedback becomes increasingly crucial. This is particularly relevant during their adolescent and teenage years, where peer interactions play a significant role.
Israel is optimistic about the potential applications of their research. “There are researchers looking at interventions that are designed to increase positive mood, positive engagement, and positive parent-child relationships,” she said. “It will be important to see if these findings can identify families who might be most likely to benefit from those types of interventions.”
Ultimately, this study represents a significant step forward in identifying children at increased risk of developing psychopathology due to parental depression. By expanding the understanding of how specific depressive symptoms affect children’s neural processing, the research paves the way for targeted interventions that could improve outcomes for affected families.
