Beyond Perceptions: Meta-Analyses on Observed Parent-Child Interaction Behaviors and Childhood and Adolescent Depression.

Abstract

A lack of positive and the presence of negative parenting are frequently mentioned as risk factors for the development and maintenance of childhood and adolescent depression. However, meta-analytic research is mostly based on parenting as perceived by the child or parent, with the potential risk of a reporter bias. Also, specific patterns of observed child behavior among children with childhood depression are often overlooked and there currently is no meta-analysis on this topic. The current meta-analyses integrate the cross-sectional and longitudinal relation between observed parenting and childhood depression, and the cross-sectional relation between observed child behavior and childhood depression. This preregistered study (k = 90) includes 350 effect sizes on five observed parenting behaviors and 131 effect sizes on six observed child behaviors in parent-child interactions that were found via PsychINFO, Web of Science, and Proquest Dissertations and Theses (until the end of September 2024). Multilevel meta-analyses show that parental warmth/support and harsh control/criticism co-occur with and precede childhood depression, with small effect sizes, while childhood depression generally did not precede negative parenting. This aligns with previous research based on subjective reports, indicating that low parental warmth and higher criticism may form risk factors for childhood depression. Observed parental autonomy granting, guidance/structure, and parental depressed affect did not relate to childhood depression. Further, children with depression showed more negative affect, reduced autonomy and engagement, illustrating the interactional challenges these families face. Family interventions could validate and address the challenges posed to children as well as parents in families with a child with depression.