A Dyadic Analysis of Depressive Symptoms, Harsh Parenting, and Rejection in Filipino Mothers and Fathers

Abstract

This study examines within-person and cross-person relations between depressive symptoms, harsh parenting, and parental rejection in low-income Filipino mothers and fathers of adolescents using an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM). Mother and father dyads (N = 81, M age = 43.48, SD = 8.66) recruited from urban neighborhoods in the Philippines completed orally administered questionnaires on depressive symptoms, harsh parenting, and rejection. Results showed that mothers' scores and fathers' scores on depressive symptoms did not significantly differ and that mothers scored significantly higher than fathers on harsh parenting and rejection. Dyadic analyses using the APIM showed that the actor effect of depressive symptoms on harsh parenting was statistically significant for fathers only and that the actor effects of depressive symptoms on rejection were statistically significant for both mothers and fathers. No partner effects on harsh parenting and rejection were statistically significant. These findings contribute to the robust evidence linking parental depressive symptoms to negative parenting behaviors and highlight the need to attend to both fathers' psychological health and mothers' psychological health in efforts to reduce harsh and rejecting parenting behaviors among Filipino parents.

Parents’ Depressive Symptoms and Child Adjustment: the Mediating Role of Mindful Parenting and Children’s Self-Regulation

“…These findings substantiate previous work on depression (e.g., Beck, 1979), in that depression compromises people's attention to the present moment, nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance, and reduced automatic cognitive biases and ruminative thoughts, all of which are central in mindfulness and mindful parenting. Contrary to previous findings of actor and partner effects of parental depression on parenting (e.g., Williams, 2018), it is worth noting that fathers' and mothers' depressive symptoms were only related to their own, but not the other parents', mindful parenting, thereby demonstrating a lack of partner effects (Kenny & Cook, 1999; see also Jocson, 2020). When a parent is mindful to begin with, their parenting practices might be less likely to be affected by the other parents' depressive symptoms.…”

The Asian Conference on the Social Sciences 2023: Official Conference Proceedings

“…Further, although mothers' results on harsh parenting with small effect size have increased with higher reports of depressive symptoms. Jocson (2020) notes that mental health professionals must have a sense of the negative repercussions of poor mental health on the community. There are narrated scenarios of depressive behaviors of crying in the living room, having a messy household and being restless in the bed are a few (Yap, Chua, Chan & Canoy, 2020).…”

An integrative model of the impact of maternal and paternal depressive episodes on the development of a child's bond

“…L'attachement affectif entre le père et l'enfant ne semble pas être caractérisé par un abandon. Cela représente une divergence avec la connexion entre une mère dépressive et son bébé (Jocson, 2020). Toutefois, il semblerait que cela se traduise par une plus grande irritabilité, des excès de colère et une fuite des relations, particulièrement celles conjugales (Johnson & Jacob, 2000;Papp, Goeke-Morey & Cummings, 2007;Madsen & Juhl, 2007, cités dans Ramchandani et al, 2011.…”

“…Une des caractéristiques les plus répandues dans la majorité des relations de couple comprenant un parent en dépression est le transfert de comportement. Cela signifie que le partenaire sans pathologie intégrera les agissements de détresse et aura tendance à reproduire les actes négatifs et l'attitude dévastatrice envers l'enfant comme le fait celui qui est souffrant, provoquant une double agression (Jocson, 2020). Cette dynamique ressemble un peu à celle de la codépendance où l'un des parents protège l'autre parent, ce qui crée des systèmes familiaux dysfonctionnels (Gagnon, 2004).…”

“…Pour ce qui est du père, celui-ci montre des signes d'incapacités à modérer ses émotions négatives. Ainsi, ce dernier sera porté à avoir des excès de colères menant à de la violence (Jocson, 2020), une perte de patience et une fuite des relations avec les autres (Ramchandani et al, 2011). Dans la dépression paternelle, cette violence et cette fuite peuvent être liées à un attachement évitant chez l'enfant, puisque celui-ci se sentira rejeté (Bédard et al, 2017).…”