The moderating effects of positive psychological strengths on the relationship between parental anxiety and child depression: The significance of father's role in Hong Kong

Abstract

This research was conducted in Hong Kong investigating whether parental anxiety increases the risk of children developing depression, and whether positive psychological traits, including optimism, life satisfaction, hope and gratitude, can moderate this association. In a community sample, 439 Chinese primary school children completed questionnaires assessing their levels of depression and positive psychological traits, while parents completed questionnaires assessing their anxiety levels. Results showed that maternal and paternal reports of anxiety symptoms were both positively and significantly associated with child depression. This association was moderated by positive psychological traits, which did not include gratitude, and were only significant in the case of paternal depression. Some evidence emerged that maternal anxiety was related to paternal anxiety. Findings from this study suggest that paternal, as well as maternal, anxiety plays an important role in developing children's depression, and that positive psychological traits are effective buffers in decreasing paternal impact on child depression. Greater attention should be paid in future research, not only to the maternal, but also to the paternal role in child depression, and to positive psychology in child development.