Parental Depression and Children’s Developmental Outcomes: The Mediating Influence of Parenting Behavior

This paper uses data from a subsample of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being survey (N = 1,799) to examine the relationship between parental depression and children’s developmental outcomes. Results suggest that parental depression when children are 12 months old, particularly maternal depression, leads to less favorable behavioral but not cognitive outcomes among children. Maternal parenting behaviors including discipline, neglect, and parenting stress are also associated with children’s behavior, and attenuate the negative consequences of episodic but not chronic maternal depression. This research extends past literature by using a large, non-clinical, and representative sample; by incorporating reports of both parents; and, importantly, by elucidating mechanisms through which depression matters for children.