ABSTRACT

Objective

Parent-child role confusion has been shown to influence developmental outcomes for children whose parents have a history of depression; however, more research is needed to understand the pathways by which parental depression increases risk of role confusion. The current study aimed to extend previous literature by evaluating how different family processes (e.g., interparental conflict, guilt induction, family cohesion, and positive parenting practices) contribute to the development of emotional role confusion in families with a history of parental depression.

Method

The sample was comprised of 90 parent-child dyads (parent M_age = 42, 90% female, 83.3% White; child M_age = 11.51, 51.1% female, 75.6% White) participating in the control group of a randomized controlled trial. All parents had a history of depression. A longitudinal path analysis was conducted to evaluate prospective associations in the multiple mediator model.

Results

Findings from the current study suggest that parental depressive symptoms are not directly related to the development of parent-child emotional role confusion, but are instead indirectly related through increased interparental conflict observed by youth. Although not identified as significant mediators, guilt induction and positive parenting practices emerged as predictors of emotional role confusion. Lastly, family cohesion did not appear to influence the development of role confusion.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that parenting behaviors and coparenting relationship quality play important roles in the development of parent-child emotional role confusion, with interparental conflict emerging as the strongest predictor in families with a history of parental depression.

中文翻译：

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亲子角色混淆：探索家庭过程在父母抑郁背景下的作用

摘要

客观的

亲子角色混淆已被证明会影响父母有抑郁症病史的儿童的发育结果；然而，需要更多的研究来了解父母抑郁症增加角色混淆风险的途径。目前的研究旨在通过评估不同的家庭过程（例如，父母间冲突、内疚感、家庭凝聚力和积极的养育实践）如何促进有父母抑郁史的家庭发生情感角色混乱来扩展以前的文献。

方法

样本由 90 对亲子组成（父母M_年龄 = 42，90  % 女性，83.3% 白人；孩子M_年龄 = 11.51，51.1% 女性，75.6% 白人）参与随机对照试验的对照组。所有父母均有抑郁症病史。进行纵向路径分析以评估多重中介模型中的预期关联。

结果

目前的研究结果表明，父母抑郁症状与亲子情感角色混淆的发展没有直接关系，而是通过青少年观察到的父母间冲突增加间接相关。尽管未被确定为重要的调解因素，但内疚诱导和积极的育儿行为已成为情绪角色混淆的预测因素。最后，家庭凝聚力似乎并未影响角色混乱的发展。

结论

研究结果表明，养育行为和共同养育关系质量在亲子情感角色混淆的发展中起着重要作用，父母间冲突成为有父母抑郁史的家庭中最强的预测因素。