Adolescent responses to depressive parental behaviors in problem-solving interactions: Implications for depressive symptoms

The purpose of this study was to explore the relations between child respon ses to interparental depressive behavior and subsequent child depressive sy mptomatology. Data were collected on 156 two-parent families. Families comp leted questionnaire data and participated in problem-solving interactions, which were coded using a microsocial observational system. Three potential child responses to interparental depressive behavior were examined: facilit ative, aggressive, and depressive. Results indicated that for female adoles cents the displays of facilitative and depressive behavior as well as the s uppression of aggressive behavior in response to interparental depressive b ehavior were related to increases in depressive symptomatology. For males, on the other hand, the display of aggressive and depressive behavior in res ponse to interparental depressive behavior was related to increases in depr ession. Results provide preliminary support both for the examination of chi ld responses to conflictual marital behavior and for expanding the conceptu alization of conflictual marital behaviors to include depressive as well as the more traditionally examined aggressive behaviors, in order to better u nderstand the link between conflictual marital behavior and child depressiv e symptomatology.