Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Perceived quality of early paternal relationships and mental health in adulthood
Renee D Goodwin1, Thomas H Styron
1Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), Flushing, NY 11367, USA. rdg66@columbia.edu
Abstract:
We aimed to determine the association between perceived paternal relationships and mental health and social functioning among adults in the community. Data were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey (N = 8098), a nationally representative sample of adults aged 15 to 54 years in the United States. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between quality of paternal relationship in childhood and current mental disorders, quality of current social relationships, and attachment style. Poor paternal relationship was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of mood and anxiety disorders. Poorer quality of paternal relationships was also associated with poorer current social functioning and avoidant and dependent attachment styles. Our findings suggest that quality of paternal relationships is associated with mental health and social functioning in adulthood and highlight a need for increased understanding of the role of paternal relationships in social/emotional development.
Related Concept Videos
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...

