Mental Health Symptoms and Parenting Among Father-Only and Dual Substance Use Disorder Couples

In the present study, we examined associations between fathers’ and mothers’ mental health symptoms as related to their own and their partner’s parenting in couples in which fathers (n = 38 families) or both partners (n = 30 families) had substance use disorder. Each partner reported on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility; children reported on each parent’s parenting behaviors, including acceptance, psychological control, and knowledge of children. Actor–partner interdependence models indicated that when substance-abusing fathers have more symptoms of anxiety and depression, nonsubstance-abusing mothers report greater knowledge of children, whereas nonsubstance-abusing mothers’ mental health symptoms were related to less paternal knowledge of children. In dual substance use disorder couples, mothers’ depressive symptoms were associated with more paternal knowledge of children. These preliminary findings offer select support for family systems theory.