The Father's Part: Influences of Paternal Psychopathology and Parenting Behavior on Child and Adolescent Well-Being

Abstract

Family influences on child quality of life (QoL) are increasingly understood. Parenting behavior and parent individual psychopathology are among the established predictors of offspring mental health. However, literature often addresses these factors as 'parental', lacking further gender-specific differentiation while predominantly studying maternal aspects. Social and biological fathers are still underrepresented in family research. The aim of this study was to analyze paternal contributions to child well-being. A total of 197 father/mother-dyads gave a standardized self-report on parenting behavior and their own psychopathology at child primary school age (t1; 6-10 y). Ratings were compared mutually and associated with child self-rated QoL at t1 and adolescence (t2; 12-14 y). Fathers and mothers differed in psychopathology and most parenting behavior dimensions (positive parenting, involvement, responsible parenting, poor monitoring, and corporal punishment). Father psychopathology made a relevant predictive contribution to girls' QoL at t2. Boys' t1 QoL was significantly influenced by maternal parenting factors (positivity and corporal punishment). Compared to mothers, fathers are faced with different individual stressors; paternal parenting behavior is different, while fathers' influences are significant, particularly for daughters. Father-addressed pre- and intervention programs in child psychotherapeutic treatment are of high relevance.

Keywords: child development; father; parent-child-relations; parental influence; parenting; parenting behavior; resilience.

Figure 1

Study design of FRANCES I (t1) and FRANCES II (t2). QoL: quality of life; APQ: Alabama parenting questionnaire; and BSI: brief symptom inventory.

Figure 2

Self-reports of parenting behavior by mothers and fathers at t1 (primary school age). 1 = ‘almost never’ to 5 = ‘nearly always’; ns: not significant, * p ≤ 0.05; and ** p ≤ 0.01.

Figure 3

Regression models of the most significant predicting boys’ and girls’ child/adolescent QoL by parent psychopathology and parenting behavior. APQ: Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, QoL: quality of life, t1: children at primary school age (6–10 y; QoL: 0–100 via Kid-KINDL^R), t2: children at adolescence (12–14 y), 1–5 via KIDSCREEN-10-Index), and β: standardized regression coefficient; * p < 0.05.