Dr. Hernandez's Research on the Impact of 'Boomerang Fathers' Widely Featured in Newsmedia

HHP faculty Dr. Daphne Hernandez's research on the effects of 'Boomerang Fathers' — those who cycle in and out of their children’s lives has been featured in scientific and news media across the world. The study, “Boomerang Fathers in Adolescent Female Depression,” was published in the National Council on Family Relations, Journal of Marriage and Family and surprisingly concluded that “Boomerang fathering” provided a type of stability in a daughter’s life that staved off her depressive symptoms compared to those adolescent girls whose fathers were completely absent. (Read an abstract of the paper on Research Gate)

Dr. Daphne Hernandez

Here are some excerpts and links to news articles featuring Dr. Hernandez's research.

Science Daily

Science Daily published an article titled, 'Adolescent depression in girls offset by presence of 'boomerang father', below is a excerpt:

Hernandez, of the Department of Health and Human Performance, worked with researchers from New York University and Iowa State University.

"We're finding a new way that families might support their children. Even though the family has gone through some really bad times, having the dad come back has proven to be positive," said Cassandra Dorius, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at Iowa State University.

Read the entire article on the Science Daily website

BYU Radio

BYU Radio featured an interview with Dr. Hernandez, by Julie Rose, on the show 'Top of Mind'. Click on the link below to listen to the interview (starts at the 19 min 14 sec mark).

BYU Radio - Top of Mind with Julie Rose, aired August 10th 2016

UH News

Below is a excerpt from UH news:

“Previous research has suggested that stressful experiences, like family instability, father absence or stepfather presence, contribute to an adolescent Daphne Hernandez experiencing depression,” said Daphne Hernandez, University of Houston assistant professor and principal investigator. “This is not what happened in the cases of these youth."

"Boomerang fathering served as a protective factor for female adolescent depression compared to female adolescents who experienced instability, but not boomerang fathers.”

Read the entire article on the UH News website