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Does paternal mental health in pregnancy predict physically aggressive behavior in children?

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An Erratum to this article was published on 25 December 2014

Abstract

The aim was to study the association between paternal mental health and physically aggressive behavior in children. This study is based on 19,580 father–child dyads from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Fathers’ mental health was assessed by self-report (Symptom Checklist-5, SCL-5) in week 17 or 18 of gestation. Children’s behavior (hitting others) was obtained by mothers’ reports. A multinomial logistic regression model was performed. Expectant fathers’ high level of psychological distress was found to be a significant risk factor only for girls hitting, adjusted OR = 1.46 (1.01–2.12), p = 0.043, but not for boys. High levels of mental distress in fathers predict their daughters’ hitting at 5 years of age.

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Abbreviations

ASQ:

Ages and Stages Questionnaire

CBCL-R:

Child Behavioral Checklist Revised

MoBa:

Mother and Child Cohort Study

MSS:

Marital Satisfaction Scale

SCL-5:

Symptom Checklist-5

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Acknowledgments

The Norwegian Mother and Child Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Research, NIH/NIEHS (Contract No NO-ES-75558), NIH/NINDS (Grant No. 1 UO1 NS 047537-01), and the Norwegian Research Council/FUGE (Grant No. 151918/S10). We are grateful to all the participating families in Norway who have taken part in this ongoing cohort study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Helse Fonna HF, Haugesund, Norway

    Anne Lise Kvalevaag, Paul G. Ramchandani, Oddbjørn Hove, Malin Eberhard-Gran, Jurg Assmus, Odd E. Haavik, Børge Sivertsen & Eva Biringer

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  1. Anne Lise Kvalevaag
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  2. Paul G. Ramchandani
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  3. Oddbjørn Hove
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  7. Børge Sivertsen
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  8. Eva Biringer
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Correspondence to Anne Lise Kvalevaag.

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Kvalevaag, A.L., Ramchandani, P.G., Hove, O. et al. Does paternal mental health in pregnancy predict physically aggressive behavior in children?. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 23, 993–1002 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0587-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0587-y

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