Longitudinal and integrative tests of family stress model effects on Mexican origin adolescents.

Abstract

The family stress model represents a common framework through which to examine the effects of environmental stressors on adolescent adjustment. The model suggests that economic and neighborhood stressors influence youth adjustment via disruptions to parenting. Incorporating integrative developmental theory, we examined the degree to which parents’ cultural value orientations mitigated the effects of stressors on parenting disruptions and the degree to which environmental adversity qualified the effect of parenting on adolescent adjustment. We tested the hypothesized Integrative Family Stress Model longitudinally in a sample of mother-youth dyads (N = 749) and father-youth dyads (N = 467) from Mexican origin families, across three times points spanning early to middle adolescence. Providing the first longitudinal evidence of family stress mediated effects, mothers’ perceptions of economic pressure were associated with increases in adolescent externalizing symptoms five years later via intermediate increases in harsh parenting. The remaining findings supported the notion that integrative developmental theory can inform family stress model hypothesis testing that is culturally and contextually relevant for wide range of diverse families and youth. For example, fathers’ perceptions of economic pressure and neighborhood danger had important implications for adolescent internalizing, via reductions in paternal warmth, but only at certain levels of neighborhood adversity. Mothers’ familism value orientations mitigated the effects of economic pressure on maternal warmth, protecting their adolescents from experiencing developmental costs associated with environmental stressors. Results are discussed in terms of identifying how integrative developmental theory intersects with the family stress model to set diverse youth on different developmental pathways.

Longitudinal Relations of Economic Hardship and Effortful Control to Active Coping in Latino Youth

“…Researchers consistently report that poverty creates a climate of risk for children that extends into adolescence (Brooks‐Gunn & Duncan, ), especially with regard to internalizing symptoms (e.g., Call et al., ; Wadsworth, Raviv, Santiago, & Etter, ). Consistent with this, family socioeconomic risk has been found to detrimentally affect the adjustment of Latino youth (e.g., Conger et al., ; Delgado, Killoren, & Updegraff, ; Parke et al., ; Z. E. Taylor, Larsen‐Rife, Conger, Widaman, & Cutrona, ; Z. E. Taylor et al., ; White, Liu, Nair, & Tein, ).…”

The Influence of Economic Pressure on Emerging Adult Binge Drinking: Testing the Family Stress Model over Time

“…The current investigation also extends work conducted by others. White, Liu, Nair, & Tein (2015) indicated that economic pressure was associated with higher levels of harsh parenting which was related to increases in adolescent externalizing behavior. Similarly, Ponnet (2014) investigated financial stress and found that parental depressive symptoms, parental conflict, and parenting mediated the association between financial stress and adolescent problem behavior.…”

Effects of economic hardship: Testing the family stress model over time.

“…Since the initial supportive findings for the FSM, several other independent studies have replicated specific pathways within the model (see also Behnke et al, 2008; Conger et al, 2002; Gershoff et al, 2007; Mistry et al, 2008; Mistry, Lowe, Benner, & Chien, 2008; Mistry, Vandewater, Huston, & McLoyd, 2002; Parke et al, 2004; Scaramella, Sohr-Preston, Callahan, & Mirabile, 2008; Yeung, Linver, & Brooks-Gunn, 2002; Yoder & Hoyt, 2005). For example, White et al (2015) found that economic pressure was associated with increases in harsh parenting for Mexican origin mothers. Harsh parenting was related to increases in adolescent externalizing behavior.…”

“…For example, many studies include economic hardship, parental emotional distress, and harsh or positive parenting, but may not account for economic pressure or couple conflict within the model. For instance, White, Liu, Nair, and Tein (2015) examined elements of the FSM from late childhood to middle adolescence in a sample of Mexican origin families. Although this study used a longitudinal design, it did not include all key pathways of the FSM and was focused on adolescents rather than younger children.…”