Sifaki, Maria;
(2023)
Paternal psychological distress and child emotional, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Study.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Background: Recent research studies indicate that fathers’ psychological distress affects child emotional, behavioural, and cognitive development. Parenting practices are suggested to account for these pathways. Despite the increasing understanding of the role of paternal psychological distress, important questions remain, especially in relation to adolescent outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to explore further the relationship between paternal psychological distress and child development, from early childhood to adolescence. Methods: The thesis utilizes secondary data from the Millennium Cohort Study. It involves three research aims: i) Using cross-lagged models, to investigate the bi-directional associations between fathers’ psychological distress and child emotional and behavioural difficulties, across child ages 3-14; ii) Through group-based trajectory modelling, to identify trajectories of paternal psychological distress across ages 3-11 and subsequently, using regression modelling, to examine how these trajectories are linked to offspring cognitive functioning at age 11; iii) Finally, through path analysis, to assess if fathers’ psychological distress at child ages 3, 7, and 11, predicts offspring engagement in health risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol use, binge drinking, and sexual activity) at age 14. Results: Findings show that paternal psychological distress predicts child emotional and behavioural difficulties, and that child difficulties also predict paternal psychological distress, though to a less extent. Moreover, reciprocal interactions occur between fathers’ distress and offspring peer difficulties, across ages 11 and 14. Additionally, when it comes to cognitive functioning, paternal psychological distress is associated with less impulsive decision-making. Last, some evidence emerged that, for intact families, fathers’ distress is linked to a decreased likelihood of adolescent alcohol and binge drinking. Conclusions: This thesis shows that paternal psychological distress influences child outcomes. Clinical and policy implications arise, as results suggest that promoting the mental well-being of fathers can be beneficial for child development.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Paternal psychological distress and child emotional, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Study |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2023. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10163292 |
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