Prevention effects on trajectories of African American adolescents’ exposure to interparental conflict and depressive symptoms.

Abstract

The present study investigates the trajectory of children's exposure to interparental conflict during adolescence, its effects on adolescents' psychological adjustment, as well as the ability of a family-centered prevention program to alter this trajectory. A total of 331 African American couples with an adolescent or pre-adolescent child participated in a randomized control trial of the Promoting Strong African American Families (ProSAAF) program, a newly-developed program targeting couple and co-caregiving processes. Using a multi-informant, latent growth curve approach, child exposure to interparental conflict during adolescence was found to be stable over a period of two years among families in the control group, but significantly declined among families in the treatment condition. Rates of change were significantly different between intervention and control groups based on parents' report of youth exposure to interparental conflict, but not for child's report. Structural equation models found trajectory parameters of interparental conflict predicted changes in adolescent depressive symptoms, with increasing rates of changes in conflict associated with increases in adolescent internalizing symptoms over the 2-year duration of the study. Finally, a significant indirect effect was identified linking treatment, changes in parents' reports of child exposure to interparental conflict, and adolescent depressive symptoms. The implications for research and intervention are discussed.

Parenting stressors and young adolescents' depressive symptoms: Does high vagal suppression offer protection?

“…A long history of research links higher marital conflict or interparental hostility with a variety of internalizing problems including depression (Grych & Fincham, 1990). In support of the premise that interparental hostility might be causally related to adolescent depressive symptoms, the association has been documented in several longitudinal studies (Barton et al, 2015; Cui, Conger, & Lorenz, 2005; Cui, Donnellan, & Conger, 2007; Cummings et al, 2014; Lee, Wickrama, & Simons, 2013). The association also exists across diverse ethnic groups (e.g., Barton et al, 2015; Krishnakumar, Buehler, & Barber, 2003) and controlling for other problems linked with internalizing problems, such as externalizing difficulties (Buehler, Benson, & Gerard, 2006; Benson, Buehler, & Gerard, 2008).…”

“…In support of the premise that interparental hostility might be causally related to adolescent depressive symptoms, the association has been documented in several longitudinal studies (Barton et al, 2015; Cui, Conger, & Lorenz, 2005; Cui, Donnellan, & Conger, 2007; Cummings et al, 2014; Lee, Wickrama, & Simons, 2013). The association also exists across diverse ethnic groups (e.g., Barton et al, 2015; Krishnakumar, Buehler, & Barber, 2003) and controlling for other problems linked with internalizing problems, such as externalizing difficulties (Buehler, Benson, & Gerard, 2006; Benson, Buehler, & Gerard, 2008). Two meta-analyses published almost two decades apart have indicated that the link between interparental conflict or hostility and adolescents’ internalizing problems (especially depressive symptoms) is well-supported across studies (Buehler et al, 1997; Yap et al, 2014).…”

Determinants and Long‐Term Effects of Attendance Levels in a Marital Enrichment Program for African American Couples

“…Previous analyses of ProSAAF program efficacy have shown that, compared to couples in the control condition, both men and women in the treatment condition reported improved couple communication at posttest and less arguing in front of youth at two‐year follow‐up (Beach et al, ). Reductions in child exposure to interparental conflict were also found to be associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in children (Barton et al, ).…”

“…In response, we developed the Promoting Strong African American Families (ProSAAF) program to address the needs of two‐parent African American couples with a preadolescent or adolescent child. ProSAAF is delivered in participants' homes and targets both couple and parenting dynamics within the family; analyses of program efficacy have found couples participating in ProSAAF to show improved communication and decreased arguing in front of youth (Barton et al, ; Beach et al, ). In this study, we further investigate this unique prevention trial by examining the effects of sustained attendance on long‐term program outcomes for African American couples as well as factors that promote or hinder couples' levels of attendance.…”

Decreasing Substance use Risk among African American Youth: Parent-based Mechanisms of Change

“…First, most family-centered prevention programs for African American youth have focused exclusively on the parent-child relationship, failing to address the needs and dynamics of two-parent households, in which co-parenting and couple relationship processes may play a key role in youth well-being (Cummings et al, 2002). Because of the salience of the interparental relationship to the parent-child relationship, scholars have emphasized the potential value of using the adult dyad as a point of intervention to change parenting (e.g., Knox, Cowan, Cowan, & Bildner, 2011), and some recent research of prevention programs has begun to emerge supporting this view (see Beach et al, 2014; Barton et al, 2015; Epstein et al, 2015; McHale et al, 2015). By working with both parents together, positive changes in parent-youth relationships may be more readily initiated and maintained (DeGarmo, Patterson, & Forgatch, 2004).…”