Abstract
This study examined whether demanding relations with extended family moderated the association of distressing mother–adolescent relations with poorer social and psychological functioning. Participants were one hundred-thirty, low-income, African American mother–adolescent dyads. For mothers distressing mother–adolescent relations and demanding relations with extended family were linked to decrease in mother’s optimism and increase in depressive symptoms. Distressing mother–adolescent relations were also linked to increase in mother’s negative interpersonal relations. Distressing mother–adolescent relations were linked to decrease in adolescent’s self-esteem. Demanding kin relations exacerbated the link between distressing mother–adolescent relations and decrease in mother’s optimism. Demanding kin relations also exacerbated the link between distressing mother–adolescent relations and increase in adolescent’s problem behavior. Findings were discussed in terms of the need for more research on social networks of at-risk families.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Baron, R. M., & Kenney, D. A. (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.
Breland-Noble, A. M., Bell, C., & Burris, A. (2011). ‘‘Mama just won’t accept this’’: Adult perspectives on engaging depressed African American teens in clinical research and treatment. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 18, 1–10.
Brody, G. H., McBride, V., Kim, S., & Brown, A. C. (2002). Longitudinal pathways to competence and psychological adjustment among African-American children living in rural single-parent households. Child Development, 73, 1505–1516.
Budescu, M., & Taylor, R. D. (2013). Order in the home: Family routines moderate the impact of financial hardship. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 34, 63–72.
Budescu, M., Taylor, R. D., & McGill, R. K. (2011). Stress and African American women's smoking/drinking to cope: Moderating effects of kin social support. Journal of Black Psychology, 37, 452–484.
Ceballo, R., & McLoyd, V. C. (2002). Social support and parenting in poor, dangerous neighborhoods. Child Development, 73, 1310–1321.
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Conger, R. D., & Donnellan, M. B. (2007). An interactionist perspective on the socioeconomic context of human development. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 175–199.
Cramer, J., & McDonald, K. B. (1996). Kin support and family stress: Two sides to early childbearing and support networks. Human Organization, 51, 60–169.
Crandall, R. (1973). The measurement of self-esteem and related concepts. In J. P. Robinson & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Measures of social psychological attitudes (pp. 45–167). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Cranford, J. A. (2004). Stress-buffering or stress-exacerbation? Social support and social undermining as moderators of the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms among married people. Personal Relationships, 11, 23–40.
DeNavas-Walt, C., Proctor, B. D., & Smith, J. (2010). Income, poverty and health insurance coverage. Current Population Reports, P60-233. Washington, DC: U. S. Census Bureau, U. S. Government Printing Office.
Dmitrieva, J., Chen, C., Greenberger, E., & GilRivas, V. (2004). Family relationships and adolescent psychosocial outcomes: Converging findings from eastern and western cultures. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 14, 425–447.
Dotterer, A. M., Hoffman, L., Crouter, A. C., & McHale, S. M. (2008). Bi-directional links between parent and adolescent relationships and adolescent’s academic achievement. Journal of Family Issues, 29, 762–779.
Durden, E. D., Hill, T. D., & Angel, R. J. (2007). Social demands, social supports and psychological distress among low-income women. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24, 343–361.
García Coll, C. T., Lamberty, G., Jenkins, R., McAdoo, H. P., Crnic, K., Wasik, B. H., & Vazquez García, H. (1996). An integrative model for the study of developmental developmental competencies in minority children. Child Development, 67, 1891–1914.
Gold, M., & Reimer, D. J. (1975). Changing patterns of delinquent behavior among Americans 13 through 16 years old: 1967–1972. Crime and Delinquency Literature, 7, 483–517.
Goldman, D., & Smith, J. P. (2011). The increasing value of education to health. Social Science and Medicine, 72, 1728–1737.
Hebert, T. B., & Cohen, S. (1996). Measurement issues in research on psychosocial stress. In H. B. Kaplan (Ed.), Psychosocial stress: Perspectives on structure, theory, life-course, and methods (pp. 295–332). London: Academic Press.
Hill, S. A., & Zimmerman, M. K. (1995). Valiant girls and vulnerable boys: The impact of gender and race on mothers’ caregiving for chronically ill children. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 43–53.
Hindelang, M. J., Hirschi, T., & Weis, J. G. (1979). Correlates of delinquency: The illusion of discrepancy between self-report and official measures. American Sociological Review, 44, 995–1014.
Holmbeck, G. N. (1997). Toward terminological, conceptual and statistical clarity in the study of mediators and moderators: Examples from the child-clinical and pediatric psychology literatures. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 599–610.
Jarrett, R. L., Jefferson, S. R., & Kelly, J. N. (2010). Finding community in family: Neighborhood effects and African American kin networks. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 41(3), 299–328.
Jenkins, J., Simpson, A., Dunn, J., Rasbash, J., & O’Connor, T. G. (2005). Mutual influence of marital conflict and children’s behavior problems: Shared and nonshared family risks. Child Development, 76, 24–39.
Lamborn, S. D., & Nguyen, D.-G. T. (2004). African American adolescents’ perceptions of family interactions: Kinship support, parent-child relationships, and teen adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33, 547–559.
Lepore, S. J. (1992). Social conflict, social support, and psychological distress: Evidence of cross domain buffering effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 857–867.
Mandara, J., Varmer, F., & Richman, S. (2010). Do African American mothers really “love” their sons and “raise” their daughters? Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 41–50.
McAdoo, H. (1982). Stress absorbing systems in black families. Family Relations, 31, 479–488.
McDonald, K. B., & Armstrong, E. M. (2001). De-romanticizing black intergenerational support: The questionable expectations of welfare reform. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63, 213–223.
McLoyd, V. (1990). The impact of economic hardship on black families and children: Psychological distress, parenting, and socioemotional development. Child Development, 61, 311–346.
McLoyd, V. C., Jayaratne, T. E., Ceballo, R., & Borquez, J. (1994). Unemployment and work interruption among African American single mothers: Effects on parenting and adolescent socioemotional functioning. Child Development, 65, 562–589.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depressive scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.
Roberts, R. E., Roberts, C. R., & Chen, R. Y. (1997). Ethnocultural differences in prevalence of adolescent depression. American Journal of Community Psychology, 25, 95–110.
Rose, T., Joe, S., & Lindsey, M. (2011). Perceived stigma and depression among Black adolescents in outpatient treatment. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 161–166.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Sagrestano, L. M., Paikoff, R. L., Holmbeck, G. N., & Fendrich, M. (2003). A longitudinal examination of familial risk factors for depression among inner-city African American adolescents. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 108–120.
Sarkisian, N., & Gerstel, N. (2004). Kin support among blacks and whites: Race and family organization. American Sociological Review, 69, 812–837.
Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1985). Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies. Health Psychology, 4, 219–247.
Schermerhorn, A. C., Cummings, E. M., DeCarlo, C. A., & Davies, P. T. (2007). Children’s influence in the marital relationship. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 259–269.
Taylor, R. D. (1996). Kinship support, family management, and adolescent adjustment and competence in African-American families. Developmental Psychology, 32, 687–695.
Taylor, R. D. (2000). An examination of the association of African-American mothers’ perceptions of their neighborhood with their parenting and adolescent adjustment. Journal of Black Psychology, 26, 267–287.
Taylor, R. D. (2010). Risk and resilience in low income African American families: moderating effects of kin social support. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16, 344–351.
Taylor, R. D. (2011). Kin support and parenting practices among low income African American mothers: Moderating effects of mother’s psychological adjustment. Journal of Black Psychology, 27, 3–23.
Taylor, R. D., & Budescu, M. (2013). Emotional adjustment and distressed interpersonal relations among low-income African American mothers: Moderating effects of demanding kin relations. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 19, 58–66.
Taylor, R. D., Budescu, M., Gebre, A., & Hodzic, I. (2014). Family financial pressure and maternal and adolescent socioemotional adjustment: Moderating effects of kin social support in low income African American families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23, 242–254.
Taylor, R. D., Casten, R., & Flickinger, S. (1993). The influence kinship social support on the parenting experiences and psychosocial adjustment of African-American adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 29, 382–388.
Turner, R. J., Wheaton, B., & Loyd, D. A. (1995). The epidemiology of social stress. American Sociological Review, 60, 104–125.
Vinokur, A. D., & van Ryn, M. (1993). Social support and undermining in close relationships: Their independent effects on the mental health of unemployed persons. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 350–359.
Wang, M. T., Brinkworth, M., & Eccles, J. (2012). Moderating effects of teacher-student relationship in adolescent trajectories of emotional and behavioral adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 49, 690–705.
Wheaton, B. (1994). Sampling the stress universe. In W. Avison & I. Gotlib (Eds.), Stress and mental health: Contemporary issues and prospects for the future (pp. 77–114). New York: Plenum.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Taylor, R.D., Budescu, M. & Gebre, A. Distressing Mother–Adolescent Relations and Psychological Well-Being in Low Income African American Families: Moderating Effects of Demanding Kin Relations. J Child Fam Stud 25, 678–690 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0252-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0252-1