Parental depressive tendencies, gender, and immigrant status in fragile families

Abstract

While empirical support that focuses on maternal depression has received substantial publicity on several fronts, paternal depression has not garnered as much empirical attention. Additionally, despite the increase in the prevalence of immigration in the US, there has been slow progress in identifying underlying mechanisms and risks among immigrant families and their impact on younger children's socio-emotional wellbeing. Utilizing the framework of intersectionality, this study investigated the effect of parental depressive tendencies on school-age children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. To understand the familial links that safeguard young school-age children's behavioral outcomes, the discrepancies of parental depressive propensities with respect to parents’ gender and immigrant status were discussed. Overall, the postulation that paternal and maternal depressive tendencies exerted differing impact was partially upheld. Fathers with a history of depressed mood were more likely to rate their children's behaviors poorly, while these mothers were more likely to hold negative perception about their children's emotional expression. Immigrant parents of first-generation were less likely to perceive their children's behaviors negatively, but more likely to see their children's emotional expression in a negative light.

Keywords:

• children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors
• parental depressive tendencies
• immigrant families
• gender
• intersectionality framework

Notes on contributors

Yok-Fong Paat is an assistant professor of social work at the University of Texas at El Paso. Her research focuses on how family ecology and process shape family well-being, health behaviors, and social integration.