Longitudinal associations between paternal mental health and child behavior and cognition in middle childhood

Sherri Lee Jones; Christina Caccese; Kelsey P Davis; Jimin Lew; Guillaume Elgbeili; Catherine M Herba; Julia Barnwell; Cindy Hénault Robert; Isabella Gavanski; Kristin Horsley; William D Fraser; Deborah Da Costa; Jean R Séguin; Tuong-Vi Nguyen; Tina C Montreuil

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1218384

Longitudinal associations between paternal mental health and child behavior and cognition in middle childhood

Front Psychol. 2023 Nov 1:14:1218384. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1218384. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Sherri Lee Jones^{1

2

3}, Christina Caccese^{1

2

3}, Kelsey P Davis^{1

2}, Jimin Lew^{2

3

4}, Guillaume Elgbeili², Catherine M Herba^{5

6}, Julia Barnwell^{2

7}, Cindy Hénault Robert^{2

3}, Isabella Gavanski⁸, Kristin Horsley⁸, William D Fraser^{6

9}, Deborah Da Costa¹⁰, Jean R Séguin^{6

11}, Tuong-Vi Nguyen^{1

2

12

13}, Tina C Montreuil^{1

2

6

7

14}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
² Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁴ Integrated Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁶ Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Human Genetics and Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁸ Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Physical and Occupational Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹² Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹³ Reproductive Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹⁴ Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Abstract

Introduction: Paternal mental health has been associated with adverse consequences on offspring psychosocial development, and family environmental factors may partly explain those associations. To clarify this, we need comprehensive prospective studies, particularly in middle-childhood when the child enters school and is expected to make use of behavioral and cognitive skills as part of their interactions and learning.

Method: Using data from a sub-sample of the prospective 3D birth cohort study comprised of mother-father-child triads, and a follow-up of the parents and the children at 6-8 years of age (n = 61; 36 boys, 25 girls), we examined whether paternal anxious and depressive symptoms measured during the pregnancy period (i.e., prenatally) or concurrently when the child was assessed at 6-8 years old were associated with children's cognition/behavior.

Results: In contrast to our hypotheses, we found that greater prenatal paternal depressive symptoms predicted fewer child behavioral difficulties; and that greater concurrent childhood paternal depression or anxiety symptoms were associated with higher child full-scale IQ, controlling for the equivalent maternal mental health assessment and parental education. Father parenting perception did not mediate these associations, nor were they moderated by maternal mental health at the concurrent assessment, or paternal ratings of marital relationship quality.

Discussion: These findings suggest that higher symptoms of paternal mental health symptoms are associated with fewer child behavioral difficulties and higher cognitive performance in middle childhood. Potential clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: child behavior; child cognition; child development; paternal anxiety symptoms; paternal depressive symptoms.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp. (T-VN), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [T-VN, MY5-155371], the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, the McGill University Health Center Foundation (T-VN), and the Fonds de Recherche Québec Santé (T-VN, 36776). The 3D and 3D-Transition Studies were both supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CRI 88413 and PJT-148551, respectively). Graduate Excellence Fellowship in Mental Health Research, awarded by the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University (CC), and a Ferring Postdoctoral Fellowship in Reproductive Health, awarded by the McGill Faculty of Medicine (SLJ). JRS was supported by the Fonds Monique Gaumond pour la Recherche en Maladies Affectives. Open-Access fees were subsidized using research stipends provided by FRQS-Chercheur Boursier Jr. 1 (TM-309805). The 3D study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under the number NCT03113331, and the 3D-Transition study under the number NCT04873518 https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04873518.