Childhood parental bonding and depression in adulthood: A study of mothers in rural Pakistan

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders 2024-07, Vol.356, p.715-721
• Main Authors: Frost, Allison, Hagaman, Ashley, Bibi, Amina, Bhalotra, Sonia, Chung, Esther O., Haight, Sarah C., Sikander, Siham, Maselko, Joanna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Maternal depression; Parental control; Parental warmth; South Asia
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.090

Parent-child relationship quality can have long-term impacts on child mental health into adulthood. The impact of parental behaviors on the future mental health of children has been understudied in South Asia, where parenting approaches differ from the dominant western approaches often represented in the literature. Mothers in rural Pakistan (N = 828) reported on their own mothers' parenting behaviors using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and were assessed for depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID). The PBI includes scales for warmth (care scale) and over-control (protection scale), as well as subscales for behavioral control and psychological control. We used structural equation modeling to test the associations between depression and all PBI scales/subscales. Increased parental care was associated with lower probability of depression (B = −0.19, SE = 0.09). Parental protection was associated with higher probability of depression (B = 0.25, SE = 0.11). Among the protection subscales, behavioral control was associated with increased risk of depression (B = 0.24, 95 % SE = 0.11) and psychological control was associated with decreased risk of depression (B = −0.28, SE = 0.12). This cross-sectional study used retrospective self-reports of parenting experiences. Participants only reported on their mothers, not fathers or other caregivers. In a rural Pakistani sample, maternal warmth was protective against adulthood depression. The association between maternal control and depression varied based on the type of control (behavioral or psychological), emphasizing the importance of nuanced measures of parental control in this context. •Parenting behavior, including warmth and control, can affect offspring mental health into adulthood.•We studied parental warmth and control and adult depression among women in rural Pakistan.•Parental warmth was associated with lower risk of depression in women.•Parental behavioral control was associated with higher risk of depression in women.•Parental psychological control was associated with lower risk of depression in women.