Paternal depression and child externalizing behaviors: A meta-analysis.

Although there is a consensus that maternal depression is strongly related to child externalizing behaviors, research on the association between paternal depression and child externalizing behaviors is mixed. Some research shows that paternal depressive symptoms are positively associated with symptoms of externalizing behaviors, including oppositional-defiant behavior, conduct problems, and overall externalizing behavior, while other studies failed to find an association, or demonstrated a weak or negative association. Given that the most recent meta-analysis on paternal depression and child externalizing behaviors is outdated, an updated meta-analysis is necessary. The present meta-analysis consisted of 52 published and unpublished articles that included a quantitative comparison between paternal depression and child externalizing behaviors. There was a small relationship between symptoms of paternal depression and symptoms of child externalizing behaviors (r = .15; 95% confident interval [.13, .18]; k = 49). Child gender was the only statistically significant moderator, with studies with a larger proportion of boys showing a larger effect (Q = 4.30, p = .038, k = 40); however, one of the articles was identified as an outlier. This moderator was no longer significant after the outlier was removed. Overall, the results suggest that clinicians working with families of fathers with depression should be cognizant of possible co-occurring child externalizing behaviors in the family. Directions for future research and other clinical implications are provided based on the findings of the current study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).