The effects of familial risk factors on social-cognitive abilities in children.

Consistent with the results of previous studies of children with depressed parents, the present investigation of social-cognitive abilities with schizophrenic parents yields no evidence of deleterious effects of parental psychopathology. Similarly, maltreatment was not associated with social-cognitive deficits. The central conclusion to be drawn from these results is that social-cognition does not mediate the effects of these risk factors on child behavior, although social-cognition may serve as a moderator.