College of Health Professions and Social Work, School of Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
J Youth Adolesc. 2012 Oct;41(10):1366-81. doi: 10.1007/s10964-011-9717-8. Epub 2011 Oct 2.
Although fathers are increasingly a focus of attention in research, there is a dearth of research on depressive symptoms among fathers, especially young fathers with toddlers. This study used longitudinal data to examine what risk factors, including the age status of fathers (e.g., late adolescence, emerging adulthood, and adulthood), may be associated with depressive symptoms of fathers when their children were 3 and 5 years of age. A subsample of families for which complete data were available on all variables was used in the analyses (n = 1,403). About 46% of study sample was African American, 27% White, 23% Hispanic, and 4% other race/ethnicity. Paternal depressive symptoms were measured using Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF). Late adolescent fatherhood was significantly associated with third-year paternal depressive symptoms but not with fifth-year depressive symptoms. Those who reported low social support were more likely to be depressed at both times. Fathers who did not work for regular pay were more likely to be depressed at the third-year follow-up, but not at the fifth-year follow-up. Parenting stress and being booked/charged with a crime were not associated with third-year paternal depressive symptoms, but were with fifth-year paternal depressive symptoms. This study emphasizes the importance of screening for depressive symptoms of fathers even before the birth of their child and monitoring and treating postpartum depressive symptoms, as first-year depressive symptoms was a significant predictor for third- and fifth-year depressive symptoms. Service providers should focus on the mental health of fathers as well as mothers to promote healthy environments for their children.
尽管父亲在研究中越来越受到关注，但针对父亲，尤其是有幼儿的年轻父亲的抑郁症状研究却很少。本研究使用纵向数据来研究哪些风险因素（如父亲的年龄状况，如青春期后期、成年早期和成年期）可能与孩子 3 岁和 5 岁时父亲的抑郁症状有关。在分析中使用了有所有变量完整数据的家庭的子样本（n=1403）。研究样本中约 46%为非裔美国人，27%为白人，23%为西班牙裔，4%为其他种族/族裔。使用复合国际诊断访谈-短式（CIDI-SF）来衡量父亲的抑郁症状。青春期后期的父亲身份与第三年的父亲抑郁症状显著相关，但与第五年的抑郁症状无关。那些报告社会支持较低的人更有可能在两个时间点都感到抑郁。没有正常工资工作的父亲在第三年随访时更有可能抑郁，但在第五年随访时则不然。育儿压力和被登记/被控犯罪与第三年父亲的抑郁症状无关，但与第五年父亲的抑郁症状有关。本研究强调了即使在孩子出生前也要对父亲的抑郁症状进行筛查，并监测和治疗产后抑郁症状的重要性，因为第一年的抑郁症状是第三年和第五年抑郁症状的重要预测因素。服务提供者应关注父亲和母亲的心理健康，以促进孩子的健康环境。
