The Relationship between Nonresident Father Involvement and Maternal Depression in Fragile Families

The benefits of nonresident father involvement for the welfare of children, including child support payment and visitation, are well documented, but the indirect effects of involvement on mothers are relatively unexplored. This article uses panel data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Survey to consider the role that nonresident father involvement plays in maternal depression. Linear probability models are estimated to clarify the relationships between different forms of nonresident father involvement, including formal child support payment, paternal visits, informal support, and in-kind support, and maternal depression. Material hardship is explored as a mediating factor. Results suggest that in-kind support is beneficial in reducing the risk for maternal depression, but visitation is harmful to some mothers, especially when infrequent. This study underscores the need for the disaggregation of measures of nonresident father involvement and calls for better understanding of the ripple effects of father involvement.