The Effects of Parental Depressive Symptoms, Appraisals, and Physical Punishment on Later Child Externalizing Behavior

Examined a cognitive-behavioral pathway by which depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers increase risk for later child
externalizing problem behavior via parents’ appraisals of child behavior and physical discipline. Participants were 245 children
(118 girls) at risk for school-age conduct problems, and their parents and teachers. Children were approximately 3 years old
at Time 1 (T1) and 5 ½ years old at Time 2 (T2). At T1, mothers and fathers reported their depressive symptoms, perceptions
of their child’s reciprocal affection and responsiveness, frequency of physical punishment, and child externalizing problems.
Mothers, fathers, and teachers provided ratings of externalizing behavior at T2. Structural equation modeling revealed that
parents’ negative attributions mediated positive relations between their depressive symptoms and frequency of physical punishment
for both fathers and mothers. More frequent physical punishment, in turn, predicted increased child externalizing behavior
at T2. In future research, transactional mechanisms underlying effects of clinical depression on child conduct problems should
be explored at multiple stages of development. For parents showing depressive symptoms, restructuring distorted perceptions
about their children’s behavior may be an important component of intervention programs.