The Influence of Mothers' and Fathers' Parenting Stress and Depressive Symptoms on Own and Partner's Parent‐Child Communication |
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| Authors: | Koen Ponnet Edwin Wouters Dimitri Mortelmans Inge Pasteels Charlotte De Backer Karla Van Leeuwen Alain Van Hiel |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Research Centre for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, University of Antwerp, , Antwerp, Belgium;2. Media & ICT in Organizations and Society, University of Antwerp, , Antwerp, Belgium;3. Parenting and Special Education Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, , Leuven, Belgium;4. Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, , Ghent, Belgium |
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| Abstract: | This study examines how parenting stress and depressive symptoms experienced by mothers and fathers influence their own (actor effects) and the partner's (partner effects) parent–child communication. Based on the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model, data from 196 families were analyzed, with both parents rating their parenting stress and depressive feelings, and parents as well as children rating the open parent–child communication. Actor effects were found between parenting stress and open parent–child communication, whereas partner effects were prominent between depressive symptoms and open parent–child communication. The results provide no evidence for gender differences in the strength of the pathways to open parent–child communication. Our findings demonstrate the need to include both parents in studies on parent–child communication to enhance our understanding of the mutual influence among family members. |
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| Keywords: | Parenting Stress Depressive Symptoms Parent– Child Communication |
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