Maternal Postnatal Depressive Symptoms and Offspring Emotional and Behavioral Development at Age 7 Years in a UK Birth Cohort: The Role of Paternal Involvement

Public Significance Statement The present study suggests that adverse effects of maternal postnatal depression on child development are not explained by various child-focused and mother-influenced dimensions of paternal involvement. Only father-child conflict emerged as a risk factor for adverse child development while also explaining the association between maternal postnatal depression and child development. If effects found causal, interventions that reduce father-child conflict may improve developmental outcomes of children of mothers with postnatal depression. There is considerable variability in developmental outcomes of children whose mothers experience depression. Few longitudinal studies have examined contributions of paternal involvement in the association between maternal postnatal depression (PND) and offspring development. We examined pathways from maternal PND at 8 weeks (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; total score) to offspring emotional and behavioral development at 7 years (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; total score) through behavioral, affective, and cognitive dimensions of paternal involvement in a U.K.-based birth cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children; n = 3,434). Analyses were adjusted for baseline confounders and paternal PND (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; total score) as an intermediate confounder. Maternal PND was strongly associated with offspring development, but this association was not mediated by the combination of all indirect pathways through various dimensions of paternal involvement. Only father-child conflict emerged as a risk factor for adverse offspring development and as a mediator in the association between maternal PND and offspring development (albeit the effect size was small). If found causal, interventions that reduce father-child conflict may reduce the risk of adverse development in offspring of mothers with PND.