Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7240862 | Journal of Adolescence | 2018 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
This study examines the role of paternal emotional support as a resilience promoter in offspring of mothers with depression by considering the role of fathers' mental health and the quality of the couple relationship. Two hundred and sixty-five mothers with recurrent unipolar depression, partners and adolescents from Wales were assessed. Paternal emotional support, couple relationship quality, and paternal depression were assessed at baseline; adolescent mental health symptoms were assessed using the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment at follow-up. Results showed evidence of an indirect pathway whereby couple relationship quality predicted paternal emotional support (βâ¯=â¯â.21, 95% CI [â.34, â.08]; pâ¯=â¯.002) which in turn predicted adolescent depression (βâ¯=â¯â.18, 95% CI [â.33, â.04]; pâ¯=â¯.02), but not disruptive behaviours (βâ¯=â¯â.08, 95% CI [â.22, .07]; pâ¯=â¯.30), after controlling for relevant confounders. The findings highlight that fathers and the broader family system play an important role in enhancing resilience to depression symptoms in at-risk adolescents.
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Authors
Liam Mahedy, Gordon T. Harold, Barbara Maughan, Frances Gardner, Ricardo Araya, Rhys Bevan Jones, Gemma Hammerton, Ruth Sellers, Anita Thapar, Stephan Collishaw,