This study explored how parenting stress can affect depressive symptoms in parents, between parents, and, ultimately, their children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. First, we examined the relationship between parenting stress and depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers. Second, we examined the mutual influence of fathers’ and mothers’ parenting stress and depressive symptoms on the marital couple. Last, we examined the effect of the mutual influence of parenting stress and depressive symptoms on the child’s internalizing and externalizing problems. To this end, we analyzed the data of 1,358 participants in Years 5–7 (2012–2014) from the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC), employing the actor-partner independence model and structural equation modeling. The results indicated that parenting stress was associated with depressive symptoms in both parents, which then exerted an effect on their children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. Furthermore, parents’ depressive symptoms mediated a positive relationship between parenting stress and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. Our findings demonstrate the importance of the mutual influence of both parents’ stress and depressive symptoms on children’s internalizing and externalizing problems.

这项研究探讨了父母的压力如何影响父母之间，父母之间的抑郁症状，并最终影响孩子的内在和外在问题。首先，我们研究了父母压力中父母教养压力与抑郁症状之间的关系。其次，我们考察了父母双方的父母压力和抑郁症状对夫妻的相互影响。最后，我们研究了父母压力和抑郁症状的相互影响对孩子内在和外在问题的影响。为此，我们采用演员-伙伴独立性模型和结构方程模型，分析了《韩国儿童专题研究》（PSKC）中5-7年级（2012-2014）的1,358名参与者的数据。结果表明，父母的压力与父母双方的抑郁症状有关，从而对孩子的内在和外在问题产生了影响。此外，父母的抑郁症状介导了父母压力与孩子的内在化和外在化问题之间的正向关系。我们的发现表明，父母的压力和抑郁症状相互影响对孩子的内在化和外在化问题的重要性。