Maternal and Paternal Psychological Distress and Child Behavior in Japan

Children’s early behavioral issues can lead to negative outcomes that persist throughout the life course. One important predictor of these problems is parental psychological distress. Studies addressing this association have largely focused on Western contexts, leaving the relationship unexplored in non-Western countries. There is also limited research that distinguishes between the effects of both maternal and paternal psychological well-being on child behavioral outcomes. Japan represents a unique ecological context to study this relationship because of Japanese-specific patterns of maternal and paternal involvement. Using linear regression analyses and two complementary datasets from Japan (Japan Child Panel Survey and Japan Household Panel Survey), this study examines the relationship between parental psychological distress for both mothers and fathers and child internalizing and externalizing behavioral outcomes (N = 484). Unlike findings from Western studies, we find that maternal, but not paternal psychological distress is associated with child internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in Japan. Further research in non-Western locations is needed, as the way parental psychological factors affect child behavior may vary in contexts with differing family dynamics and child-rearing practices.