NCJ Number
240771
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 36 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2012 Pages: 461-469
Date Published
May 2012
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the association of paternal depression with the risk for a father's neglect of his young children.
Abstract
The study found that paternal depression when a child was 3 years old was associated with an increased likelihood of child neglect when his child was age 5. Father-related risk for neglect remained statistically significant even after accounting for strong, significant effects of maternal parenting risks, including maternal depression and household economic hardship. Paternal parenting stress was also associated with heightened risk for neglect, although only at the level of marginal significance after accounting for maternal parenting risks. The authors recommend screening fathers for parenting risks, such as depression, during well-baby visits and social work intervention. This may encourage fathers to seek help for behaviors related to depression, thus reducing the father's risk for neglect of his children. The sample was derived from a birth cohort study of 1,089 families in which both biological parents lived in the home when the target child was 3-years and 5-years old. Prospective analyses examined the influence of paternal and maternal parenting risk (e.g., depression, alcohol use, and parenting stress) to the incidence of neglect of the target child. Models included a comprehensive set of factors associated with parental child neglect in two-parent families. Factors included the quality of the parental relationship, household economic conditions, and paternal demographic characteristics. 2 tables and 65 references