Moderating effect of parent self-esteem and depression on links between child behavior and interparental communication

Parents of children with chronic disruptive behaviors consistently report greater interparental discord than parents of children without such concerns. These families also report lower parenting self-esteem and higher rates of depression, both of which may contribute to poor partner communication. Although disruptive child behavior has been prospectively and experimentally linked to interparental discord, less is known about the joint influence of depressive symptoms and parenting self-esteem on this association. The present study examines 90 parent couples randomly assigned to interact with a 9- to 12-year-old confederate exhibiting either typical or disruptive behaviors. Parents completed measures of depressive symptoms and parenting self-esteem (satisfaction and efficacy) prior to the interaction, and interparental communication was assessed through observed coding and partner ratings. Results were explored separately for mothers and fathers. For mothers, disruptive child behavior predicted more negative communication among those with high depressive symptoms and low efficacy. For fathers, several three-way interactions emerged, including stronger links between disruptive child behavior and more negative and less positive communication among those with high depressive symptoms and low efficacy or satisfaction. Findings highlight the synergistic pattern of parenting self-esteem and depressive symptoms, particularly in fathers, and suggest that these parent characteristics may help identify families who are more susceptible to discordant partner communication under child-driven stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).