The association of kin social support with mothers' adjustment and family relations was assessed among 204 African American mothers and adolescents who were on average 14.45 years of age. Also examined was the association of mothers' adjustment with family relations and adolescents' adjustment. Findings revealed that kin social and emotional support was positively associated with mothers' optimism. Poor relations with kin were positively associated with mothers' depression. Kin advice and counseling and kin social and emotional support were positively linked to family routine. Poor relations with kin were positively associated with parent/adolescent communication problems. Mothers' optimism was positively associated with family routine and mediated the association of kin social and emotional support with family routine. Parent/adolescent communication problems were positively associated with adolescents' depression. The findings were discussed in light of their support for theoretical and empirical work on family processes among poor African American families.
ECONOMIC RESOURCES AND ADOLESCENTS' ADJUSTMENTAmong some ethnic or racial minority groups in America, poverty and its related problems have become relatively intractable challenges affecting substantial numbers of children and adolescents. In the past 10-15 years as JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, 18(1), 1-22
The association of mothers’ report of the adequacy of family financial resources with African American mothers’ and adolescents’ depressive symptoms was assessed. Findings for families with male adolescents revealed that mothers’ report of the adequacy of families’ financial resources was linked to mothers’ and adolescents’ depressive symptomatology and mothers’ optimism. Mothers’ report of the adequacy of family financial resources was positively associated with family routine. Mothers’ optimism was also positively associated with family routine and mediated the association of family financial resources with family routine. Findings for families with female adolescents revealed that family resources were positively associated with family routine. Explanations for the differences in the findings for families with male or female adolescents were discussed. The need for more research assessing the processes that mediate the relations of families’ financial resources with African American adolescents’ and parents’ well-being was discussed.
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