Original Articles
Influence of Marital and Coparenting Relationships on Depressive Symptoms in Parents Raising a Preschool Child
2023 Volume 43 Pages 174-182
Details
2023 Volume 43 Pages 174-182
Objective: To clarify which factors including couple relationship (marital and coparenting relationship) affect depressive symptoms in parents who are caring for their preschooler aged 2 to 4 years when childcare-related burdens are changing as the child grows.
Methods: This observational study included 136 men and 121 women who were taking care of their child aged 2 to 4 years. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the independent variables were couple relationship assessed by the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) and the Quality of Marriage Index (QMI). Multiple regression analysis was conducted separately for men and women, respectively.
Results: CES-D in men was associated with CRS (β = –.454, p < .001), and CES-D in women was associated with CRS (β = –.329, p = .002) and QMI (β = –.255, p = .015).
Conclusion: Better score of coparenting relationship was associated with low CES-D score in both men and women caring for their child aged 2 to 4 years.
