Beyond Perceptions: Meta-Analyses on Observed Parent-Child Interaction Behaviors and Childhood and Adolescent Depression.

Wilma G M Wentholt, Marc L Molendijk, Loes H C Janssen, Lisanne A E M van Houtum, Marieke S Tollenaar, Lenneke R A Alink, Bernet M Elzinga

Abstract readMeta-Analysis

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In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical child and family psychology review, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Wilma G M WentholtDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. w.g.m.wentholt@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9713-3384

Marc L MolendijkDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2819-0988

Loes H C JanssenDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3543-6026

Lisanne A E M van HoutumDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2368-093X

Marieke S TollenaarDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5060-2729

Lenneke R A AlinkInstitute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3459-0785

Bernet M ElzingaDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8917-7368

Funding

Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek 453-15-006

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A lack of positive and the presence of negative parenting are frequently mentioned as risk factors for the development and maintenance of childhood and adolescent depression. However, meta-analytic research is mostly based on parenting as perceived by the child or parent, with the potential risk of a reporter bias. Also, specific patterns of observed child behavior among children with childhood depression are often overlooked and there currently is no meta-analysis on this topic. The current meta-analyses integrate the cross-sectional and longitudinal relation between observed parenting and childhood depression, and the cross-sectional relation between observed child behavior and childhood depression. This preregistered study (k = 90) includes 350 effect sizes on five observed parenting behaviors and 131 effect sizes on six observed child behaviors in parent-child interactions that were found via PsychINFO, Web of Science, and Proquest Dissertations and Theses (until the end of September 2024). Multilevel meta-analyses show that parental warmth/support and harsh control/criticism co-occur with and precede childhood depression, with small effect sizes, while childhood depression generally did not precede negative parenting. This aligns with previous research based on subjective reports, indicating that low parental warmth and higher criticism may form risk factors for childhood depression. Observed parental autonomy granting, guidance/structure, and parental depressed affect did not relate to childhood depression. Further, children with depression showed more negative affect, reduced autonomy and engagement, illustrating the interactional challenges these families face. Family interventions could validate and address the challenges posed to children as well as parents in families with a child with depression.

Indexed as

Child BehaviorDepressionDepressive DisorderParent-Child RelationsParentingAdolescentChildHumansAdolescent depressionChildhood depressionMeta-analysisObserved parent–child interactions

Identifiers

PMID42247102

DOI10.1007/s10567-026-00572-8

PMCPMC13562138

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.