Paternal Support and Involvement in Unmarried Fragile Families: Impacts on Long‐Term Maternal Mental Health

Fragile families are defined as those that include unmarried or romantically unstable parents who have children and are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Mothers in fragile families may experience risk factors that lead to increased depressive symptoms that inhibit their ability to bounce back after...

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Veröffentlicht in:Family process 2020-06, Vol.59 (2), p.789-806
Hauptverfasser: Mallette, Jacquelyn K., Futris, Ted G., Oshri, Assaf, Brown, Geoffrey L.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Fragile families are defined as those that include unmarried or romantically unstable parents who have children and are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Mothers in fragile families may experience risk factors that lead to increased depressive symptoms that inhibit their ability to bounce back after stressful events. Risk factors for poorer maternal mental health may include declines in father involvement and a lack of coparenting support. This study examined the connected nature of coparenting and father involvement over time among continuously unmarried mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. A bidirectional latent growth curve analysis demonstrated that early father involvement was associated with a more gradual decline in coparenting support over the child's first 5 years, while early coparenting support also predicted a slower decline in father involvement over time. Steeper declines in coparenting support and father involvement over time were linked with more maternal depression and lower maternal life satisfaction when their child was nine. Results demonstrate a clear need for targeted intervention with both parents in fragile families to promote involved fathering behavior and enhance coparental relationships. Las familias frágiles se definen como aquellas formadas por padres inestables solteros o románticamente inestables que tienen hijos y son desfavorecidos socioeconómicamente (Carlson & McLanahan, 2010). Las madres de las familias frágiles pueden sufrir factores de riesgo conducentes a mayores síntomas depresivos que inhiben su capacidad de recuperarse después de situaciones estresantes (Kalil & Ryan, 2010). Entre los factores de riesgo de deterioro de la salud mental materna se encuentran la disminución de la participación del padre y la falta de apoyo en la cocrianza. Este estudio analizó la índole asociada de la cocrianza y la participación del padre con el paso del tiempo entre las madres continuamente solteras del estudio sobre las “Familias Frágiles y el Bienestar de los Niños” (Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study). Un análisis bidireccional de la curva de crecimiento latente demostró que la participación inicial del padre estuvo asociada con una disminución más gradual del apoyo en la cocrianza durante los primeros cinco años del niño, mientras que el apoyo inicial en la cocrianza también predijo una disminución más lenta de la participación del padre con el paso del tiempo. Las disminuciones más pronunciadas d
ISSN:0014-7370
1545-5300
DOI:10.1111/famp.12456