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This review summarizes research concerning the relation between paternal factors and child and adolescent psychopathology. When compared with mothers, fathers continue to be dramatically underrepresented in developmental research on psychopathology. However, findings from studies of children of clinically referred fathers and nonreferred samples of children and their fathers indicate that there is substantial association between paternal characteristics and child and adolescent psychopathology. Findings from studies of fathers of clinically referred children are stronger for fathers' effects on children's externalizing than internalizing problems. In most cases the degree of risk associated with paternal psychopathology is comparable to that associated with maternal psychopathology. Evidence indicates that the presence of paternal psychopathology is a sufficient but not necessary condition for child or adolescent psychopathology.

These patterns are discussed, with an emphasis on strategies to increase the inclusion of fathers in research and treatment of pediatric psychology issues. Future directions for researchers and clinicians are also included.

Previous studies have addressed the degree of correspondence between interparental reports of children's behavior problems, but have not examined the discrepancies in these reports. A meta‐analysis containing 60 studies and 126 independent effect sizes was conducted. Results suggest that maternal and paternal ratings exhibit moderate correspondence in ratings of internalizing behavior problems in children and large correspondence in ratings of externalizing and total behavior problems in children. In terms of discrepancy of reports, parents reported similar levels of all types of problems. Age, gender, and socioeconomic status were found to moderate correspondence between mothers’ and fathers’ ratings but did not moderate discrepancies in mothers’ and fathers’ ratings.

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