Abstract
Four groups (N = 80 families) of depressed (depressive symptoms) and nondepressed fathers and mothers were compared during interactions with their 3- to 6-month-old infants to determine how depressed versus nondepressed fathers interacted with their infants and how their interactions compared with depressed mothers interacting with their infants. Depressed and nondepressed fathers received similar ratings and depressed fathers received higher interaction ratings than depressed mothers. Although depressed fathers did not seem to behave negatively with their infants, their nondepressed partners showed less optimal interaction behaviors with their infants.