title: Depressed fathers' speech to their 3-month-old infants: a study of cognitive and mentalizing features in paternal speech.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression in fathers in the postnatal period is associated with an increased risk of child behaviour problems. A key potential pathway of risk transmission is exposure of the child to negative cognitions and affect in the context of early parenting. This study examines paternal speech during face-to-face father-infant interactions at 3 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Currently depressed (n=19) and non-depressed (n=19) fathers were individually matched on age and education. Speech was coded for cognitive biases and mentalizing statements using a modified version of previous measures of maternal speech. Paternal depression was diagnosed using a structured psychiatric interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression in fathers was associated with more speech focused on the paternal experience and less on the infants' experience. Depressed fathers' speech comprised more negative and critical utterances, compared with non-depressed fathers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important differences emerge in the speech of fathers who experience depression. Examining negative cognitions in the speech of these fathers as early as 3 months may help in understanding children's risk in relation to paternal psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sethna
authors.affiliation: Winnicott Research Unit, School of Psychology, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ramchandani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010332:Paternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013060:Speech; D056345:Theory of Mind / Q000502:physiology