Household Stress and Adolescent Behaviors in Urban Families: The Mediating Roles of Parent Mental Health and Social Supports
The impact of economic and household stressors on adolescent wellbeing is well documented, but less is known about the processes through which these factors impact youth. In this study, we explore the extent to which parent mental health and social supports mediate the negative influences of financial strains and household stressors on prosocial and vulnerability behaviors among urban adolescents. Two hypotheses are tested. First, we tested whether parent mental health mediates the relationship between household difficulties, financial strain, and parent social supports on adolescent behaviors. Second, we test whether parent social supports offer protection against adolescent vulnerability through encouraging child pro-social activities while mitigating the negative effects of parent depression and anxiety.
Method
The parents (N=781) of urban youth responded to questions surveying household, parent, and child factors related to early adolescent development. All parent participants had a child aged 11-14 who was planning to enroll in a summer camp for at-risk youth. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to address research hypotheses. Parent mental health was specified as an endogenous variable mediating the relationships between household difficulty, financial stress, and parent social supports and endogenous variables adolescent pro-social behavior and adolescent vulnerability.
Results
Two models were tested: the first model (χ2(143, N=781) = 350.0, p<.001; RMSEA=.043), which did not include the path between parent depression/anxiety and adolescent pro-social behaviors, and the second model (χ2(142, N=781) = 337.2, p<.001; RMSEA=.042) which included the path. A direct path between parent social supports and adolescent pro-social behaviors was also specified. Both models tested group effects by gender by successively adding constraints to the model to isolate any differences between the groups. Study findings are consistent with our hypotheses, and the model performed similarly for both adolescent males and females.
Discussion
A contribution of this study is the emphasis on the inclusion of parents and non-parent adults in the lives of youth. Youth programs may develop support groups and provide resources for parents recognizing that these will not only benefit the parents directly but also the parents’ children as well. Youth programs may also work to build social capital among parents through parent involvement activities, and encourage opportunities for not just parents but also extended family networks – including positive role models from worship communities, the neighborhood, or extended family – to be involved in the lives of children.
Future research should address gaps in the literature related to the processes by which non-parent adults impact youth outcomes, particularly in the context of interventions. Additionally, more research is needed to examine the effects of economic hardship on marital relationships, family life, and child development, particularly in the historical context of the recent recession and housing crisis.