Parental strain, mental health problems, and parenting practices: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Although poor parenting practices place youth living in under resourced communities at heightened risk for adjustment difficulties, less is known about what influences parenting practices in those communities. The present study examines prospective linkages between three latent constructs: parental strain, mental health problems and parenting practices. Parental victimization by community violence and life stressors were indicative of parental strain; depressive, anxious, and hostile symptoms were indicators of parental mental health; and parental knowledge of their child's activities and child disclosure were indicators of parenting practices. Interviews were conducted annually for 3 waves with 316 female caregivers (92% African American) parenting youth in low-income inner-city communities. Structural equation modeling revealed that parental strain, assessed at Wave 1, predicted changes in mental health problems one year later, which in turn predicted parenting practices at Wave 3. These results suggest that parental strain can compromise a caregiver's ability to parent effectively by impacting their mental health. Opportunities for intervention include helping caregivers process trauma and mental health problems associated with parental strain.

Exposure to Violence, Social Cognitive Processing, and Sleep Problems in Urban Adolescents

“…Because parents reside in the same communities as their children, parents also may experience victimization or may witness significant amounts of violence (Borre & Kliewer, 2014; Kliewer & Zaharakis, 2013). This exposure, in turn, may heighten parents’ mental health problems, affect coping, and reduce parents’ sensitivity and responsiveness to their children.…”

“…This exposure, in turn, may heighten parents’ mental health problems, affect coping, and reduce parents’ sensitivity and responsiveness to their children. For example, in a sample of families residing in low-income communities, Borre and Kliewer (2014) found that parents’ experiences of victimization and life stress were associated with negative changes in their mental health. The negative changes in parents’ mental health, in turn, were associated with less awareness of their children’s activities and the extent to which their children disclosed information to them the subsequent year.…”

Individual and Familial Variables for Predicting Successful Completion of a Juvenile Justice Diversion Program

“…Young African-Americans are disproportionately involved in juvenile delinquency (Gonzalez et al, 2014), in the juvenile justice system, and are more likely to be incarcerated (Brinkley-Rubenstein et al, 2014). Borre and Kliewer (2014) claimed that life stressors produce high levels of parental strain, which, in turn, may account for the special challenges faced by many African-American parents. The lack of outside support may also be a contributing force.…”

The Influence of General Discrimination and Social Context on Young Urban Expecting Couples’ Mental Health

“…Along with the stress experienced by this vulnerable population, adolescent and young adult parents often manifest symptoms of depression, which relates to poor parenting practices and capacities (Borre & Kliewer, 2014; Raskin, 2012). Limited resources, ethnic minority status, and location can function as contributors of mental health disparities among young expecting parents (Muntaner, 2013).…”

“…The value of this knowledge also rests in the implications for developing strategies to reduce harm experienced by these populations. For example, there is evidence that poor mental health limits parenting capacity (Borre & Kliewer, 2014; Raskin, 2012) and that stress increases pre-term birth (Goldenberg, Culhane, Iams, & Romero, 2008; Hobel, 2004). Disparities in mental health care may then be linked to disparities in physical health.…”