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Cited by 604Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentFamily Dynamics and RelationshipsMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Effects of paternal depression on fathers' parenting behaviors: a meta-analytic review

Wilson, Sylia, Durbin, C. Emily·2010·Clinical Psychology Review
DOI 10.1016/j.cpr.2009.10.007
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Abstract

One possible mechanism for the familial transmission of depression is through its negative effects on parenting and the parent-child relationship. Although previous research indicates that depression is associated with parenting impairment for mothers, no quantitative synthesis of the empirical literature on the effects of paternal depression on fathers' parenting has been conducted. The present meta-analysis examined the effects of paternal depression on fathers' positive and negative parenting behaviors. The mean effect sizes, computed using 40 independent effect sizes derived from 28 published and unpublished studies, indicated that paternal depression has significant, though small, effects on parenting, with depressed fathers demonstrating decreased positive and increased negative parenting behaviors. Several moderating effects were found, including child and father age, and sample race/ethnicity, and effects were comparable for studies that used self-report measures and observational methods to assess fathers' parenting behaviors. Moreover, effect sizes for the relationship between paternal depression and fathers' parenting behaviors were comparable to those found for mothers. The present findings indicate that paternal depression has a significant and deleterious effect on parenting behaviors by fathers, and speak to the importance of continuing to include fathers in research on child development and the family environment.

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  • Both maternal and paternal depression are significantly associated with negative parenting behaviors, most pronounced for parents of young children, and parent depression leads to maladaptive parent-infant interactions that impede infant affect regulation and later child development.

    “A number of studies have documented significant associations of both maternal55 and paternal56 depression with negative parenting behaviors. These associations are found throughout the age range of children, but most pronounced for the parents of young children. Although only an incomplete understanding exists of pathways, both laboratory and naturalistic studies of parent-infant micro-interact”

    From The Costs of Depression (2012) · cites this paper as [55]

  • Father interaction and father non-involvement are both associated with child internalizing and externalizing behaviours.

    “Consistent with this model, father interaction and father noninvolvement are both associated with child internalizing and externalizing behaviours (Wilson & Durbin, 2010)”

    From The effects of paternal depression on child and adolescent outcomes: A systematic review (2016) · cites this paper as Wilson & Durbin, 2010

  • Depression was associated with 5·1% of all days out of role, the fourth highest population attributable risk proportion of all the disorders considered (exceeded only by headache/migraine, other chronic pain conditions, and cardiovascular disorders) and by far the largest among the mental disorders.

    “Depression was associated with 5·1% of all days out of role, the fourth highest population attributable risk proportion of all the disorders considered (exceeded only by headache/migraine, other chronic pain conditions, and cardiovascular disorders) and by far the largest among the mental disorders.”

    From Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission (2022) · cites this paper as [221]

  • Depression is also associated with the highest number of days out of role at the societal level of any physical or mental disorder.

    “Depression is also associated with the highest number of days out of role at the societal level of any physical or mental disorder.”

    From Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission (2022) · cites this paper as [221]

  • Parental mental health difficulties may lead to negative parenting behaviours related to nurturing and monitoring, decreased attention to a child's needs and more significant dysfunction within the home.

    “These parental mental health difficulties may lead to negative parenting behaviours related to nurturing and monitoring, decreased attention to a child's needs and more significant dysfunction within the home [27,28].”

    From A Qualitative Study of Child and Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ireland (2021) · cites this paper as [28]

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Authors
Wilson, S., & Durbin, C. E.
Affiliations
Northwestern University (US)
Corresponding author
Wilson, Sylia
ORCID
Venue
Clinical Psychology Review
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-03
Volume
30
Issue
2
Pages
167-180
ISSN
0272-7358 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cpr.2009.10.007
OpenAlex
W2119124347
Cited by
603
References
127
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 66 · 2020: 60 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 51 · 2016: 45 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 24
FWCI
2.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Clinical Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
paternal depression, positive parenting, negative parenting, parent-child relationship, child age, race and ethnicity, family environment
MeSH terms
Adult, Child, Depressive Disorder, Father-Child Relations, Fathers, Female, Humans, Male, Social Environment, Parenting

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