Parent and Child Depression: Moderated Mediation by Gender and Harsh Parenting in Emerging Adults

Abstract

Parental depression has been associated with psychological problems in offspring. It was hypothesized that harsh parenting would mediate this relationship and that gender differences would suggest moderated mediation. Emerging adults (N = 490) reported on their current perceptions of parental depression, harsh parenting, and their own psychological problems. The indirect effects of parental depression on emerging adult psychological problems in the context of parent–child gender dyads were examined. All variables shared positive free correlations across gender, whereas direct and indirect effects were influenced heavily by gender. Parental depression was directly related to male and female depression, and harsh parenting was only directly and indirectly related to female depression. Further research should focus on the complexity of harsh parenting and environmental predictors on child psychological problems. Addressing parental depression may indirectly and directly improve children’s internalizing and externalizing problems.