Father Behaviour is Protective Against Child Mental Health Difficulties When Mothers Experience Postnatal Depression

• In Event: Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Background: Around 1 in 10 women experience clinical levels of depression symptoms after they have a baby (Howard et al., 2014). Postnatal depression increases the risk of child behavioural and emotional problems, and that risk is most marked when depression symptoms are high and persist across the postnatal period (Barker, 2013; Netsi et al., 2018). But mental health outcomes in children are not solely determined by the mental health of mothers. Positive fathering can reduce the risk of adverse mental health outcomes through a supportive relationship with children (Day & Padilla-Walker, 2009). Importantly however, fathers can also provide much-needed emotional and social support to mothers experiencing depression symptoms (Easterbrooks, Kotake, Raskin, & Bumgarner, 2016). To date, only one study has investigated both the father-child and father-mother relationship together. To the best of our knowledge, no published research has yet examined maternal depression and father behaviour across the postnatal period in a prospective population-based cohort.
Aims: First, to assess effects of a ‘common’ factor of positive father behaviour compared to the individual contributions of the ‘specific’ component factors (mother-focused and child-focused). Second, to estimate increased risk for child mental health symptoms (conduct problems and emotional difficulties) associated with exposure to high-persistent maternal depression symptoms, and to examine the reduction in risk when the child experiences positive father behaviour. Third, through exploratory analysis, to examine positive father behaviour and child mental health symptoms, across maternal depression trajectories.
Method: Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and latent profile analysis, we examined associations between maternal depression and positive father behaviour trajectories across the postnatal period, and child conduct problems and emotional difficulties at age 8.
Results: Exposure to high-persistent maternal depression symptoms increased risk for child conduct problems (odds ratio (OR), 2.24; 95% CI 1.32-3.67) and emotional difficulties (OR, 2.55; 95% CI 1.52-4.14). Bifactor-specific indices of positive father behaviour (toward child, toward mother) indicated a reliable common factor (fig. 1), which reduced the odds of conduct problems by 17% (x=2.05, p = .040) and emotional difficulties by 14% (x=2.41, p = .016; fig. 2). Using exploratory analysis, we identified reduced positive father behaviour when mothers experienced high-persistent depression symptoms. Children exposed to high-persistent maternal depression symptoms, but who also experienced high-positive father behaviour, did not differ significantly from non-exposed children in levels of conduct problems (t=1.69, p = .101) or emotional difficulties (t=1.53, p = .138).
Conclusions: This study presents evidence that positive father behaviour, when consistent toward both the child and the mother, is protective against adverse mental health outcomes in children who are exposed to persistent maternal postnatal depression symptoms. However, we also found that in three-quarters of these families, fathers do not demonstrate consistently high levels of positive behaviour. This presents a potentially important clinical target for interventions that seek to improve mental health outcomes for children. Outcomes may be maximised by ensuring that interventions are inclusive of fathers, targeting improvements in both parenting skills and the parental relationship.

Authors

• Alex Martin, King's College London
  Presenting Author

• Barbara Maughan, King’s College London
  Non-Presenting Author

• Matt Jaquiery, University of Oxford
  Non-Presenting Author

• Edward D Barker, King’s College London
  Non-Presenting Author