Premium
Marital Conflict and Children’s Emotional Security in the Context of Parental Depression
Author(s) -
Kouros Chrystyna D.,
Merrilees Christine E.,
Cummings E. Mark
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00514.x
Subject(s) - psychology , context (archaeology) , emotional security , depression (economics) , developmental psychology , social psychology , geography , economics , macroeconomics , archaeology
Evidence has emerged for emotional security as an explanatory variable linking marital conflict to children’s adjustment. Further evidence suggests parental psychopathology is a key factor in child development. To advance understanding of the pathways by which these family risk factors impact children’s development, the mediational role of emotional security for children with parents who have potentially clinical levels of depression compared to children whose parents have lower levels of symptomatology was examined (i.e., moderated mediation). Participants included 297 families assessed annually for 3 years. Paternal depression moderated pathways, such that marital conflict was associated with greater child emotional insecurity 2 years later in the context of paternal depression. Testing alternative pathways, emotional insecurity mediated relations between maternal depression and externalizing problems.