Parental rearing behaviour, family atmosphere and adult depression: a pilot study with psychiatric inpatients.

In a sample of 72 depressed inpatients the relationships between severity of depression, emotional family atmosphere and perceived parental rearing were studied at admission, discharge and follow-up. The results indicate that paternal rejection and overprotection might be of particular importance for developing social skills used to form close relationships, whereas maternal emotional warmth seems to have a preventive effect by promoting emotional stability.