Paternal Sensitivity and Children’s Cognitive and Socioemotional Outcomes: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Rodrigues, Michelle; Sokolovic, Nina; Madigan, Sheri; Luo, Yiqi; Silva, Victoria; Misra, Shruti; Jenkins, Jennifer M.

doi:10.1111/cdev.13545

Cited by 84 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 99 publications

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“…Child-reported sense of connectedness to caregivers was a moderate to strong predictor of their COVID-19 depression, anxiety, and happiness. This finding is consistent with a robust body of literature that supports the importance of parental warmth and connection for children’s developmental health outcomes [ 18 – 21 , 64 ]. Moreover, connection to caregivers may be playing a particularly salient role when access to other traditional supports (e.g., peers, teachers and coaches) is limited or unavailable due to COVID-19 restrictions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Child and family factors associated with child mental health and well-being during COVID-19

McArthur

Racine

McDonald

et al. 2021

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry

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Understanding the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the current generation of youth is critical for post-pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to identify the most salient child (i.e., connectedness to caregivers, screen time, sleep, physical activity, peer relationships, and recreational activities) and family (i.e., COVID-19 financial impact, maternal depression and anxiety) factors associated with children’s mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, after controlling for pre-pandemic mental health. This study included 846 mother–child dyads (child age 9–11) from the All Our Families cohort. Mothers reported on the child’s pre-pandemic mental health at age 8 (2017–2019) and during COVID-19 (May–July 2020), the family’s financial impact due to COVID-19, and maternal depression and anxiety. During COVID-19 (July–August 2020), children reported on their screen time, sleep, physical activity, peer and family relationships, and recreational activities, as well as their happiness, anxiety and depression. After controlling for pre-pandemic anxiety, connectedness to caregivers ( B − 0.16; 95% CI − 0.22 to − 0.09), child sleep ( B − 0.11; 95% CI − 0.19 to − 0.04), and child screen time ( B 0.11; 95% CI 0.04–0.17) predicted child COVID-19 anxiety symptoms. After controlling for pre-pandemic depression, connectedness to caregivers ( B − 0.26; 95% CI − 0.32 to − 0.21) and screen time ( B 0.09; 95% CI 0.02–0.16) predicted child COVID-19 depressive symptoms. After controlling for covariates, connectedness to caregivers ( B 0.36; 95% CI 0.28–0.39) predicted child COVID-19 happiness. Fostering parent–child connections and promoting healthy device and sleep habits are critical modifiable factors that warrant attention in post-pandemic mental health recovery planning.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Decades of observational and experimental research has shown that when children feel connected to their caregivers, their developmental health is optimized [ 18 – 23 ]. However, as children move into the later stages of middle childhood, peer relationships take on more primacy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child and family factors associated with child mental health and well-being during COVID-19

McArthur

Racine

McDonald

et al. 2021

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Another meta-analysis has also confirmed significant associations between paternal sensitivity and children's executive function and emotional regulation from infancy to childhood (Rodrigues et al, 2021). Children's self-regulatory abilities, a set of skills involved in attention, persistence, motivation, and effortful control, are closely associated with later substance use (Crockett et al, 2006;Fosco et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…In a more recent meta‐analytic review, Rodrigues et al. (2021) found small to moderate associations between paternal sensitivity (defined as “reading the subtle affective and cognitive cues of children and in turn, responding in a manner that is sensitive, stimulating, or both” [p. 554]) and children's better cognitive functioning and emotional regulation, and less externalizing problems. On the other hand, findings on the effects of quantity of father involvement are inconsistent: some showing the quantity of involvement being unrelated to children's well‐being (refer to a meta‐analysis on nonresident fathers; Adamsons & Johnson, 2013) and others showing the quantity being a prerequisite for the quality of involvement (Fabricius et al., 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term effects of father involvement in childhood on their son's physiological stress regulation system in adulthood

Choi

Kim

Capaldi

et al. 2021

Developmental Psychobiology

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Using a long‐term prospective longitudinal study of U.S. men and their fathers, the present study examined the extent to which the quantity (i.e., shared activities between fathers and sons) and the quality (i.e., assessors’ ratings of fathers’ positive behaviors toward sons and the relationship quality between fathers and sons) of father involvement during childhood influenced sons’ diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol in adulthood (late 30s) directly and indirectly through substance use across the 20s. Findings indicated that the quantity of father involvement during childhood was directly associated with sons’ diurnal cortisol patterns assessed almost 30 years later. Specifically, the quantity of father involvement in childhood significantly increased the intercept (i.e., upon awakening) and also led to a greater reduction in cortisol across the day, suggesting a well‐regulated diurnal cortisol pattern. The quantity of father involvement significantly reduced the amount of sons’ illicit drug and tobacco use across the 20s. Tobacco use across the 20s was associated with a lower cortisol intercept level (upon awakening), although the mediating path was not significant. The present study provided empirical evidence demonstrating long‐term physiological and behavioral consequences of father involvement in childhood and its potency as a crucial early caregiving environment for sons.

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“…For a century, studies and theories have been devoted to outline and investigate the maternal impact on the child including risks of maternal psychiatric conditions and the impact of maternal sensitivity on healthy growth of the child. Although past theories regarded the paternal role as essential but complementary to that of the mother, recent studies show specific and substantial effects of fathers on risk versus promotion of child development (Cabrera, 2020;Cabrera et al, 2011;Rodrigues et al, 2021;Volling et al, 2019). However, the paternal role is understudied regarding associations that are less confounded by genetics such as sensitivity towards child development and the impact of paternal depression on the offspring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The roots of paternal depression: Experienced and nonexperienced trauma or Folie a Deux?

Ferber

Braun

Weller

2021

Developmental Psychobiology

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The transition to fatherhood may be challenged with anxiety and trepidation. A high prevalence has been found for paternal depression and it is reactive to maternal depression. This review aims to address potential sources of paternal depression, which may have adverse consequences on child development. We describe through three hypotheses how fathers may be at risk of depression during the transition to fatherhood: (1) psychological (interacting with ecological systems); (2) brain func-tional∖structural changes; and (3) (epi)genomic. We propose that paternal stressful experiences during the transition to fatherhood may be the source for paternal depression through direct stressful paternal experiences or via (potential, currently debated) nonexperienced (by the father) epigenomic transgenerational transmission.On the other hand, we suggest that resilient fathers may undergo a transient dysphoric period affected by identifying with the newborn's vulnerability as well as with the mother's postpartum vulnerability resulting in "paternity blues." In accordance with recent views on paternal "heightened sensitivity" toward the infant, we propose that the identification of both parents with the vulnerability of the newborn creates a sensitive period of Folie a Deux (shared madness) which may be a healthy transient, albeit a quasi-pathological period, recruited by the orienting response of the newborn for survival.

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Paternal Sensitivity and Children’s Cognitive and Socioemotional Outcomes: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Cited by 84 publications

References 99 publications

Child and family factors associated with child mental health and well-being during COVID-19

Child and family factors associated with child mental health and well-being during COVID-19

Long‐term effects of father involvement in childhood on their son's physiological stress regulation system in adulthood

The roots of paternal depression: Experienced and nonexperienced trauma or Folie a Deux?

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