Maternal depressive symptoms, father's involvement, and the trajectories of child problem behaviors in a US national sample.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of maternal depressive symptoms on child problem behavior trajectories and how the father's positive involvement may modify this association.


METHODS
Secondary data analysis using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.


METHODS
A nationally representative household sample of men and women from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.


METHODS
The study sample includes 6552 mother-child dyads interviewed biennially between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 2002; children were 0 to 10 years old at baseline. Intervention Past-week maternal depressive symptoms in 1992.


METHODS
Maternal self-reports of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors were assessed repeatedly using a modified Child Behavior Checklist.


RESULTS
Linear growth curve models indicate that the adverse effects of maternal depressive symptoms on child problem behavior trajectories become negligible after controlling for the father's involvement and other covariates, including the child's age, sex, and race/ethnicity; the mother's educational level; maternal age at child birth; number of children; poverty status; urban residence; and father's residential status. Positive involvement by the father was inversely associated with child problem behavior trajectories. The effects of maternal depressive symptoms on child problem behaviors varied by the level of the father's positive involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
When the father actively compensates for limitations in the depressed mother's functioning, the child's risk of problem behaviors may be reduced.
Chang
Jen Jen
JJ
Department of Community Health in Epidemiology, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. jjchang@slu.edu
Halpern
Carolyn T
CT
Kaufman
Jay S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011581:Psychological Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology