Interparental consistency and its relationship to aggression and depression in children and adolescents

Abstract

This study analyses the relationship between interparental rearing inconsistency and the presence of aggressive and depressive behaviour in a sample of 1159 subjects (45,3% male) between 8 and 17 years of age. The results show that subjects from families with rearing inconsistency in control, hostility and communication showed significantly more aggressive and depressive behaviours than subjects from families with interparental consistency. Parents´ control inconsistency was the best predictor of the alterations studied. Although no specific pattern of inconsistency associated with child aggression or depressive symptoms was found, interparental inconsistence appeared especially associated with them.