Towards a family process model of maternal and paternal depressive symptoms: exploring multiple relations with child and family functioning

TLDR

Research has focused on maternal dysphoria and child adjustment, but family process models reveal gaps in studying paternal dysphoria, broader family functioning, and diverse child outcomes. The study surveyed 235 mother–father dyads of kindergarten children, collecting self‑reported depressive symptoms, family functioning, and child adjustment, with teachers also reporting on child adjustment. Higher parental depressive symptoms were associated with greater marital conflict, insecure attachment, reduced warmth, increased psychological control, and multiple child problems, with child gender moderating outcomes differently for paternal versus maternal dysphoria, and marital relations mediating child outcomes, underscoring the reactive nature of marital problems to parental depression even in low‑risk families.

Abstract

Background: Research has focused on maternal dysphoria and child adjustment. However, family process models indicate gaps in the study of paternal dysphoria, broader family functioning, and diverse child outcomes. Method: A community sample of 235 mothers and fathers of kindergarten children completed measures of depressive symptoms, family functioning and child adjustment. Teachers also provided measures of child adjustment. Results: Supportive of pervasive effects even in a community sample, increased parental depressive symptomatology was related to increased marital conflict, insecure marital attachment, less parental warmth, more psychological control in parenting, and multiple child problems. Child gender moderated child outcomes differently for paternal and maternal dysphoria. Marital relations, but not parenting, mediated child outcomes. Conclusions: Marital problems may be especially reactive to parental depressive symptomatology, so that mediational processes affecting child functioning become evident even in family contexts of relatively low risk.