African American Fathers’ Depression and Stress as Predictors of Father Involvement During Early Childhood

Abstract

Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, were used to examine the relation between father-reported depression, stress, and father involvement in a large, nationally representative sample of African American fathers (N = 784). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that fathers who experienced fewer depressive symptoms participated in more frequent play, caregiving, and home literacy activities with their young children at 24 months. Furthermore, fathers who experienced fewer stressors engaged in more frequent play activities but not caregiving or home literacy. Notably, fathers who engaged in more frequent positive interactions (e.g., laughing and talking calmly) with their child’s mother were also more involved in play and caregiving at 24 months. Results were evident even after controlling for a host of sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, findings suggest that healthy psychological functioning coupled with positive mother-father interactions are positive predictors of father involvement among African American fathers with young children. Implications for future research, practice, and policy are discussed.