title: The role of parent depressive symptoms in positive and negative parenting in a preventive intervention.
abstract: This study examined the role of parent depressive symptoms as a mediator of change in behaviorally observed positive and negative parenting in a preventive intervention program. The purpose of the program was to prevent child problem behaviors in families with a parent who has current or a history of major depressive disorder. One hundred eighty parents and one of their 9- to 15-year-old children served as participants and were randomly assigned to a family group cognitive-behavioral (FGCB) intervention or a written information (WI) comparison condition. At two months after baseline, parents in the FGCB condition had fewer depressive symptoms than those in the WI condition, and these symptoms served as a mediator for changes in negative, but not positive, parenting at 6 months after baseline. The findings indicate that parent depressive symptoms are important to consider in family interventions with a parent who has current or a history of depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA. rex.forehand@uvm.edu
authors.forename: Rex
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forehand
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Thigpen
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parent
authors.forename: Emily J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hardcastle
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bettis
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Compas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales