Fathers’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms: internalizing/externalizing problems and dissociative experiences in their adolescent offspring

Maternal and paternal depressive symptoms have shown to be linked to higher internalizing and externalizing problems in their children. The dysfunctional affective communication that characterizes depressed parenting has also been analyzed as a potential traumatic cumulative phenomenon that may, consequently, yield to dissociation. In this research framework, the purpose of the present study was to explore the relationships among fathers’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms, adolescent dissociative experiences and internalizing and externalizing problems. A cross-sectional study, with a sample of 185 Italian adolescent students (40% males and 60% females; M = 16.2 years, SD = 1.2) and their mothers (MAge = 45.5 years, SD = 5.6 years) and fathers (MAge = 50.1 years, SD = 6.9 years) was conducted. Adolescents’ dissociative experiences were evaluated by means of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale, whereas their internalizing and externalizing symptoms through the Youth Self Report and parental depression symptoms were assessed through the Beck Depression Inventory. Path model analyses showed that the adolescent dissociative experiences played a mediating role between fathers’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms and their adolescent sons’ and daughters’ internalizing and externalizing problems. This study pointed out the complexity of the emotional/behavioral functioning in adolescent offspring when both parents are depressed, highlighting the presence and the impact of adolescent dissociative experiences associated to internalizing and externalizing problems.