2018 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 219-227
This study examined the longitudinal effects of paternal depression in the context of the family system based on findings on the relational mechanism obtained in the previous study (author, 2016b). Data were collected from both mothers and fathers of 135 children attending 12 different kindergartens in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Surveys were conducted when the children were three and five years old. The causal relation between paternal depression and father–child relationships and paternal depression and parental relationships were investigated using a cross-lagged effects model. Results revealed that paternal depression negatively affected the quality of father–child relationships as well as parental relationships, both of which were measured through self-reports by fathers. Findings suggest that paternal depression has a detrimental effect on fathers' perception of the quality of family relationships. This study has confirmed the importance of considering paternal depression in early childhood and the need to also consider its influence on family members.
