Cross-lagged effects between parent depression and child internalizing problems

Abstract

The bidirectional associations between maternal depression and child psychological functioning are generally well-established. Paternal depression may also share some bidirectional associations with child psychological functioning, but there is limited research in this area. It is unclear how or when one family member's anxiety or depression might affect another family member's mental health. The present study tested the bidirectional associations between maternal depression, paternal depression, and children's internalizing problems of anxiety and depression from early childhood into mid-adolescence. The present study also included unmarried parents, who are often underrepresented in research. Secondary analyses were performed using a subset of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing (FFCW) study, beginning when children were 3-years-old and ending when children were 15-years-old. Families (N = 4,873) were from racially and economically diverse backgrounds-nearly half of the mothers were non-Hispanic Black and 65% of mothers had a high school degree or further education. We found evidence of bidirectional associations between maternal depression and child internalizing problems across early childhood and into adolescence. We found no bidirectional associations between paternal and maternal depression or between paternal depression and children's internalizing problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).