TY - JOUR
T1 - Individuals’ marital instability mediates the association of their perceived childhood parental affection predicting adulthood depression across 18 years
AU - Bartek, Madeline Eleanor
AU - Zainal, Nur Hani
AU - Newman, Michelle G.
N1 - Funding Information:
The data used in this publication were made available by the Data Archive on University of Wisconsin - Madison Institute on Aging, 1300 University Avenue, 2245 MSC, Madison, Wisconsin 53706–1532. Since 1995 the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study has been funded by the following: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network; National Institute on Aging (P01-AG020166); National institute on Aging (U19-AG051426). The original investigators and funding agency are not responsible for the analyses or interpretations presented here.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2021/8/1
Y1 - 2021/8/1
N2 - Background: Parenting theories propose that lack of childhood parental affection confers increased vulnerability to heightened adulthood depression. However, only a few prospective studies have examined this topic, and no studies included mediators of the childhood parental affection–adulthood depression connection. Objective: This study examined parenting, and interpersonal theories by determining if participants’ (n= 2,825) mid-life marital instability mediated their perceived childhood parental affection predicting depressive symptoms in adulthood across 18 years. Methods: Childhood maternal and paternal affection (Parental Support Scale) was measured at Time 1 (T1). Depressive symptoms (Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form) were measured at T1, Time 2 (T2), and Time 3 (T3), spaced approximately nine years apart. Marital instability (Marital Instability Index) was measured at T1 and T2. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted to test whether perceived childhood parental affection would independently negatively predict T3 depressive symptoms, and if participants’ mid-life marital instability mediated those relations. All analyses adjusted for prior levels of mediator and outcome variables. Results: Lower perceived childhood maternal and paternal affection predicted higher T3 depressive symptoms. Lower childhood maternal and paternal affection predicted higher T2 marital instability. Greater marital instability in turn predicted elevated T3 depression. Individuals’ marital instability mediated those associations, by accounting for 17–20% of the total effects. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of perceived childhood parental affection to nurture a strong marital bond to reduce the odds of developing major depressive disorder in middle-to-late adulthood.
AB - Background: Parenting theories propose that lack of childhood parental affection confers increased vulnerability to heightened adulthood depression. However, only a few prospective studies have examined this topic, and no studies included mediators of the childhood parental affection–adulthood depression connection. Objective: This study examined parenting, and interpersonal theories by determining if participants’ (n= 2,825) mid-life marital instability mediated their perceived childhood parental affection predicting depressive symptoms in adulthood across 18 years. Methods: Childhood maternal and paternal affection (Parental Support Scale) was measured at Time 1 (T1). Depressive symptoms (Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form) were measured at T1, Time 2 (T2), and Time 3 (T3), spaced approximately nine years apart. Marital instability (Marital Instability Index) was measured at T1 and T2. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted to test whether perceived childhood parental affection would independently negatively predict T3 depressive symptoms, and if participants’ mid-life marital instability mediated those relations. All analyses adjusted for prior levels of mediator and outcome variables. Results: Lower perceived childhood maternal and paternal affection predicted higher T3 depressive symptoms. Lower childhood maternal and paternal affection predicted higher T2 marital instability. Greater marital instability in turn predicted elevated T3 depression. Individuals’ marital instability mediated those associations, by accounting for 17–20% of the total effects. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of perceived childhood parental affection to nurture a strong marital bond to reduce the odds of developing major depressive disorder in middle-to-late adulthood.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106896327&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85106896327&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.091
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.091
M3 - Article
C2 - 34051530
AN - SCOPUS:85106896327
VL - 291
SP - 235
EP - 242
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
SN - 0165-0327
ER -