title: Parental depression and child well-being: young children's self-reports helped addressing biases in parent reports.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Effects of maternal and paternal depression on child development are typically evaluated using parental reports of child problems. Yet, parental reports may be biased.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a population-based cohort, parents reported lifetime depression (N = 3,178) and depressive symptoms (N = 3,131). Child emotional and behavioral problems were assessed at age 6 years by child self-report using the Berkeley Puppet Interview, by mother report using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and at age 3 years by father and mother reported CBCLs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both maternal and paternal depression was associated with more child problems. Associations were of similar strength if child problems were obtained by self-reports. However, if parents reported about their own depression or depressive symptoms and about their child's problems, estimates were generally stronger for associations with the reporting parent's depression as the determinant. For instance, if mothers reported child emotional problems, associations were stronger for maternal (B = 0.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.19, 0.35) than for paternal lifetime depression (B = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.02, 0.21; P-value for difference = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression of mothers and fathers affects young children's well-being. However, if parents reported about their own depression and about child problems, associations were inflated. To accurately estimate effects of parental depression, multiple-source data including young children's perspectives must be considered.
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2060, room KP-2822, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ank P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ringoot
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2060, room KP-2822, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.tiemeier@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Vincent W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2060, room KP-2822, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Riagg Rijnmond, PO Box 711, 3000 AS Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pety
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: So
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2060, room KP-2822, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Verhulst
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2060, room KP-2822, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Woudestein, T13-01, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pauline W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Berkeley Puppet Interview; Bias; Child emotional and behavioral problems; Depression; Father; Multi-informant