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

Abstract

How Latino youth cope with stressors may have implications for their adjustment. We examined how a temperamental characteristic (effortful control) and a contextual factor (economic hardship) were associated with Latino youth's coping. Individual differences in effortful control, a core facet of self-regulation, may contribute to coping as effortful control is consistently linked to adaptive behaviors during adolescence. We examined relations of effortful control and economic hardship to active coping in a sample of Mexican-origin youth (N = 674) across three time points (fifth to ninth grades). Although economic hardship negatively predicted coping and effortful control, effortful control positively predicted coping (controlling for prior levels). Findings support a resilience perspective by suggesting that effortful control may contribute to coping and thus counteract the negative effects of economic hardship.

Associations Between Effortful Control, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Depressive Problems in Latino Preadolescents

“…Our work was consistent with prior research finding effortful control serves to protect Latino youth from depressive problems (Loukas & Roalson, 2006; Taylor et al, 2018; Taylor, Widaman, & Robins, 2018; Valiente et al, 2009), although given that our findings were only significant for T1, we cannot show directionality. Researchers have found that effortful control and coping strategies are linked in Latino children in middle childhood and early adolescence (Taylor, Widaman, & Robins, 2018; Valiente et al, 2009), and that higher effortful control negatively predicts Latino children’s internalizing and externalizing problems (Loukas & Roalson, 2006; Taylor et al, 2018; Valiente et al, 2009). Researchers have also hypothesized that regulatory traits such as effortful control could provide a promising index of adolescent resilience (Dishion & Connell, 2006).…”

“…Overall, our study suggests that a higher CAR may be adaptive in the short term for Latino preadolescents perhaps by promoting flexible responding to their environments through effortful control, an aspect of temperament known to facilitate positive adjustment and lower levels of internalizing problems in this population (Loukas & Roalson, 2006; Taylor et al, 2018; Taylor, Widaman, & Robins, 2018). Importantly, our study focused on factors that are related to well-being in Latino youth, rather than solely documenting potential vulnerabilities and risks.…”

“…Effortful control is more often linked with externalizing behaviors in adolescence (i.e., Atherton, Tackett, Ferrer, & Robins, 2017; Eisenberg, 2015; Pérez-Edgar, 2015; Wang, Eisenberg, Valiente, & Spinrad, 2016), but researchers have found relations between internalizing problems and effortful control in cross-sectional (Dyson, Robertson, & Wong, 2015; Muris, Meesters, & Blijlevens, 2007; Ormel et al, 2005; Taylor, Jones, Anaya, & Evich, 2018; Yap et al, 2011) and longitudinal studies (Hilt, Armstrong, & Essex, 2012; van Oort, Greaves-Lord, Ormel, Verhulst, & Huizink, 2011). Youth with higher effortful control may be less likely to become overaroused when experiencing stress (Eisenberg, 2015; Wang et al, 2016), and effortful control has been found to positively predict youth’s active coping across time (Taylor, Widaman, & Robins, 2018). Therefore, higher effortful control may serve to protect adolescents against internalizing problems.…”

“…Therefore, higher effortful control may serve to protect adolescents against internalizing problems. However, relations between effortful control and mental health in Latino adolescents have been less commonly assessed (for exceptions, see Loukas & Roalson, 2006; Taylor et al, 2018; Taylor, Widaman, & Robins, 2018; Valiente, Lemery-Chalfant, & Swanson, 2009).…”

The Role of Temperament in the Onset of Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors across Adolescence: Findings from a 10-year Longitudinal Study of Mexican-Origin Youth

“…Nine published papers have used data from the California Families Project (CFP) to examine temperament measured via the EATQ-R(Atherton, Lawson, Ferrer, & Robins, 2020; Atherton, Lawson, & Robins, in press;Atherton, Schofield, Sitka, Conger, & Robins, 2016;Atherton, Tackett, Ferrer, & Robins, 2017;Atherton, Zheng, Bleidorn, Robins, 2019;Clark, Donnellan, Conger, & Robins, 2015; Clark, Donnellan, & Robins, 2018;Robins, Donnellan, Widaman, & Conger, 2010;Taylor, Widaman, Robins, 2018). No previous CFP publications have examined suicidal ideation, plans, or attempts.…”