title: The protective effects of father involvement for infants of teen mothers with depressive symptoms.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the role of father involvement on infant distress among children born to teen mothers, particularly those who are depressed. 119 teen mothers (<20 years) and their infants (<6 months) enrolled in a quasi-experimental trial of a comprehensive pediatric primary care program. Data were drawn from mother-reported questionnaires administered at baseline, before participation in the intervention or comparison conditions. 29 % of teen mothers screened positive for depression. Mothers reported that 78 % of fathers were engaged with their children, typically seeing them a few times per month, and 71 % took financial responsibility for their children. In a multiple linear regression, father responsibility predicted lower infant distress, maternal depression predicted higher infant distress, and there was a significant interaction in which father engagement buffered the effect of maternal depression on infant distress. Fathers may be a protective resource for children born to teen mothers, even as early as the first 6 months of life, potentially mitigating the heightened risk associated with maternal depression in the postpartum period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Science, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 301-405-4008, USA, alewin@umd.edu.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hodgkinson
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Southammakosane
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gilmore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000523:psychology*; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010372:Pediatrics; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
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