Parent-adolescent closeness predicts neurophysiological reward responsiveness in adolescent girls at varying risk for depression

Risk for depression rises during adolescence, particularly among children of depressed mothers. Altered neurophysiological reward processing, measured using event-related potentials (ERPs), is related to depression vulnerability. However, it is unclear whether disruptions in youth reward responsiveness are driven by parental reward dysfunction (e.g., anhedonia) versus parent-child relationship factors (e.g., closeness). This work examined concurrent and prospective associations between youth neurophysiological reward responsiveness and parental anhedonia, parent-adolescent discord, and parent-adolescent closeness. Participants included 93 youth assigned female at birth (ages 13–15) and their mothers (n = 62 with a depression history). Youth reward responsiveness was assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up using the reward positivity (RewP) ERP component. Parental anhedonia, parent-adolescent discord, and parent-adolescent closeness were measured at each timepoint using questionnaires. Regression analyses demonstrated positive concurrent associations between parent-adolescent closeness and youth RewP at both timepoints. RewP was not significantly related to parental anhedonia or parent-adolescent discord, and no prospective cross-lagged effects were observed. Among adolescents at varying depression risk, youth with greater closeness with their mothers consistently demonstrated enhanced reward responsiveness, even after accounting for adolescent depressive symptoms and maternal depression history. Findings suggest that positive, but not negative, aspects of parent-child relationships are related to adolescent responsiveness to reward.