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Fathers' Mental Health and Children's Aggressive Behaviour A Study Based on Data from the Norwegian Mother, Father

Anne Lise Kvalevaag1, Jörg Aβmus2, Eva Biringer3

  • 1Department of Research and Innovation, Helse Fonna Local Health Trust, P.O. Box 2170, N-5504, Haugesund, Norway. anne.lise.kvalevaag@helse-fonna.no.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|January 29, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Fathers prenatal psychological distress is linked to increased hitting behavior in boys aged 18 months to 3 years. Child temperament did not influence this association.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Prenatal paternal psychological distress is an emerging area of research.
  • Understanding factors influencing early childhood aggression is crucial for intervention.
  • Previous research has primarily focused on maternal prenatal distress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between fathers' prenatal psychological distress and children's aggressive behavior (hitting).
  • To examine the moderating roles of child age, gender, and temperament in this association.
  • To utilize a large, prospective cohort for robust analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Data from 20,155 father-mother dyads in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).
  • Fathers' prenatal psychological distress assessed via Symptom Checklist (SCL-5).
  • Children's aggressive behavior and temperament (EAS Temperament Survey) assessed longitudinally.

Main Results:

  • Fathers' prenatal psychological distress positively correlated with increased hitting behavior in children from 18 months to 3 years.
  • This association was specifically observed in boys.
  • Children's temperament did not moderate the relationship between fathers' prenatal distress and aggressive behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal prenatal psychological distress is a significant risk factor for early childhood aggression in boys.
  • Interventions targeting paternal mental health during pregnancy may help mitigate childhood aggression.
  • Future research should explore underlying mechanisms and protective factors.

Keywords:
Aggressive behaviourChildrenFathersMoBaPrenatal psychological distress

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