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Marital Conflict as a Mediator of the Longitudinal Connections between Maternal Emotional Distress and Early Adolescent Maladjustment

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Abstract

In this study, we examined the longitudinal relations among maternal emotional distress, marital conflict, and early adolescent externalizing behaviors and internalizing symptoms during the transition to adolescence. 3 years of self-report data were collected from 136 married mothers and their children, beginning when the children were in 5th grade. Structural equations modeling with latent variables were conducted to examine the nature and directionality of paths between constructs. For mothers, results indicated that marital conflict mediated the relation between prior maternal emotional distress and subsequent early adolescent externalizing behaviors and internalizing symptoms. For early adolescents, a mediating pattern was seen only for externalizing behaviors. In testing the reverse pattern of effects for mothers, marital conflict mediated the relation between prior early adolescent externalizing behaviors and subsequent maternal emotional distress whereas only an indirect pattern of effects existed for internalizing symptoms. Thus, we identified dynamic patterns of familial relations that accounted for the diminished well-being of both early adolescents and their mothers, suggesting that prevention and intervention work during the transition to adolescence should focus on multiple components of family functioning.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (No. 1R03HD041955 and 5R03HD41955-2) as well as from both the College of Arts and Letters and the Graduate School of the University of Notre Dame, all awarded to Dawn M. Gondoli.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, 118 Haggar Hall, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA

    Elizabeth H. Blodgett Salafia, Dawn M. Gondoli & Amber M. Grundy

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  1. Elizabeth H. Blodgett Salafia
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Correspondence to Elizabeth H. Blodgett Salafia.

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Blodgett Salafia, E.H., Gondoli, D.M. & Grundy, A.M. Marital Conflict as a Mediator of the Longitudinal Connections between Maternal Emotional Distress and Early Adolescent Maladjustment. J Child Fam Stud 17, 928–950 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9199-9

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