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Abstract

This study related the self-reported severity of depression in a nonclinic sample of 35 young adolescents (mean age = 13.63 years) to mothers' and fathers' self-reported severity of depression and parents' use of an authoritative discipline style. Authoritative discipline was assessed from the adolescents' viewpoint as well as that of each parent. The severity of adolescents' depression was positively related to the joint severity of fathers' and mothers' depression and was positively related to the extent that adolescents agreed that their fathers used authoritative discipline. Adolescent depression was not related to parents' own reports of their authoritative discipline. When the extent of fathers' perceived authoritative discipline was controlled, fathers' depression did not account for a significant increase in the explained variability of adolescents' depression. The relation between parent and adolescent depression may be mediated by parent authoritative discipline.

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Parent Depression and Parent Authoritative Discipline as Correlates of Young Adolescents' Depression

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