The examination of the impact of the father's role on the relationship between the maternal containment function and depressive symptoms in children aged 3-6 years

This study aims to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms observed in children aged 3-6 years, maternal containment function, and the role of the father. The study was designed quantitatively using a correlational survey model. The population of the study consists of parents of children aged between 3 years and 6 years who were identified as showing depressive symptoms and referred by a specialist physician in Istanbul. The research was conducted with data obtained from 386 mother-father pairs. To evaluate depressive symptoms in children, the Child Depression Symptom Scale (CDSS) was employed. The Maternal Containment Function Scale (MCFS) was used to measure maternal containment, while the Father Involvement Scale (FIS) assessed the father's role. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 28.0. The distribution of variables was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied for non-normally distributed independent quantitative variables, while the Chi-square test was used for independent qualitative variables. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to determine relationships between variables. The findings indicate that children's depressive symptoms are significantly associated with maternal containment function and father involvement. A negative and statistically significant relationship was found between maternal containment function and depressive symptoms in children, with father involvement acting as a moderating factor in this relationship. Particularly, depressive symptoms in children were observed to be lower when maternal containment was strong. Additionally, father involvement was found to positively influence children's psychological well-being, depending on the strength of maternal containment. The findings were discussed in light of relevant literature, and recommendations were provided based on the study results.