Fathers have been neglected in the investigation of the effects of parental psychopathology. Although the adverse effects on children due to maternal psychopathology have been extensively investigated, very little research has been completed to study the effects of paternal psychopathology on children's psychological functioning. The proposed study will involve a systematic investigation of the mediating factors associated with paternal and maternal psychopathology in children and adolescents who have a father or mother with either Major Depressive Disorder or no psychiatric diagnosis.
Specific aims i nclude: (1) To compare the differential effects of having a father who is psychiatrically disturbed, having a mother who is psychiatrically disturbed, or having nondisturbed parents; (2) To investigate mechanisms related to risk and protective factors associated with paternal and maternal psychopathology; and (3) To investigate the change over time in the relation between parental and child psychopathology. The mediating risk factors that will be investigated are: paternal and maternal psychological symptoms, interparental conflict, and paternal and maternal parenting behavior. The mediating protective factors that will be investigated are: child intelligence, and paternal and maternal perceived competence. Parental stress will be analyzed as a covariate in MANOVA analyses and exploratory regression analyses will investigate parental and child medical factors. Participants will include 120 families with a diagnosed parent (30 solely depressed fathers, 30 solely depressed mothers, 30 comorbid depressed fathers, 30 comorbid depressed mothers) and 120 matched nonclinical families. Findings from the proposed study are expected to elucidate the mechanisms associated with paternal and maternal psychopathology. A long term goal of this research is to help in the development of strategies to assist both parents and their children in dealing with the familial ramifications of parental psychiatric disturbance. It is hoped that data from the proposed research will lead to plans for secondary prevention programs that will help protect children from the adverse effects of having a psychiatrically disturbed father or mother.
