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Title: Gender Differences in Depression across Parental Roles
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Shafer, Kevin M.
Pace, Garrett T.
Gender Differences in Depression across Parental Roles
Presented: Boston MA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, May 2014
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); Family Structure; Gender Differences; Parenthood

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Prior research has focused on the relationship between parenthood and psychological well-being with mixed results. Some studies have also addressed potential gender differences in this relationship, again yielding varied findings. One reason may be methodological choices pursued in these studies, including the lack of focus on combined parental roles (i.e., biological parent and stepparent). We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 (NLSY, n= 6276) and multinomial treatment models to address how combined roles influence depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers. Further, we explore potential gender differences. Our results indicate that numerous parental roles are negatively associated with psychological well-being for both men and women, while childlessness is negative for women, and specific parental role combinations affect mothers and fathers differently. Within the context of changing family structure in the U.S., these results help us understand any link how gendered parental roles can influence mental health.
Bibliography Citation
Shafer, Kevin M. and Garrett T. Pace. "Gender Differences in Depression across Parental Roles." Presented: Boston MA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, May 2014.