The protective roles of ethnic identity, social support, and coping on depression in low-income parents: A test of the adaptation to poverty-related stress model.

Abstract

This study tested the Adaptation to Poverty-Related Stress (APRS) model's proposed relationships between poverty-related stress (PRS), ethnic identity affirmation (EI), social support, engagement coping, and depression in a racial/ethnically diverse sample of low-income parents. Method: Path analysis was used to test the APRS model in a sample of 602 parents living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line (50% male, mean age ϭ 32.55 years, SD ϭ 8.78, 34.8% White). Multigroup path analysis tested moderation by gender and race/ethnicity. Results: Path analysis revealed that PRS was indirectly associated with higher depressive symptoms through less social support and less use of engagement coping operating in parallel and sequentially in a three-path mediated sequence. Conversely, EI was indirectly associated with lower depressive symptoms through greater social support and greater use of engagement coping operating in parallel and sequentially. However, PRS remained a direct predictor of higher depressive symptoms. Moderation by gender and race/ethnicity was not found. Conclusion: Overall, the findings provide empirical support for the APRS model. This study suggests that clinical and preventive interventions targeting depression in low-income parents could benefit from focusing on improving low-income parent's use of engagement coping and perceived social support. Ethnic identity is a promising target as it to protects against PRS' negative impact on coping and social support. What is the public health significance of this article?This study highlights the importance of increasing low-income parents' use of coping strategies such as problem-solving and distraction and expanding their social network when targeting depression. A strong ethnic identity is an important resource and more research is needed regarding how best to incorporate it into these interventions.

COVID-19 pandemic related long-term chronic stress on the prevalence of depression and anxiety in the general population

“…Research showed positive religious coping is vital in reducing anxiety and depression among HCWs amid the pandemic [ 50 ], implying that negative feelings towards pandemic may form a potential risk on mental health. It was reported that poverty-related stress remained a direct predictor of higher depressive symptoms [ 51 ], which is consistent with our results. Although there is no specific explanation for how low annual incomes trigger depressive and anxious symptoms, some studies reported that poor social support and negative coping could mediate the risk effect of poverty-related stress [ 52 ].…”

Socio-Demographic and Coping Correlates and Predictors of Depressive Symptoms Among Low-Income and Ethnic Minority Mothers At-Risk

“…In African American mothers, specific ways of coping with intimate partner violence (IPF) predicted depressive symptoms in the presence of psychosocial variables (i.e., religiosity and social support seeking [Mitchell et al, 2006]). In line with theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), less use of social support was associated with higher depressive symptoms in African American mothers (Mitchell et al, 2006) and multi-ethnic cohabitating parents (McDonald et al, 2020).…”

“…The first hypothesis was supported. Prior studies that examined coping with poverty related stressors have similarly found that EF strategies alone (i.e., escape-avoid and voiding social support) were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms than use of mixed strategies (PF, SSS, EF combinations) among low-income, multi-ethnic, couples (McDonald et al, 2020;Wadsworth & Compas, 2002;Wadsworth et al, 2008). For poor African American mothers coping with intimate partner violence, use of both EF and PF strategies were associated with higher depressive symptoms while correlations with SSS were not significant (Mitchell et al, 2006).…”

“…This study identified sociodemographic and coping correlates and predictors of depressive symptoms and provides information about the effectiveness of specified ways of coping with a depressed mood in reducing depressive symptoms among low-income and ethnic minority mothers at risk. Researchers have identified coping and sociodemographic correlates of depressive symposium in mothers, but these researchers asked about coping with situational stressors (i.e., poverty, race, intimate partner violence) and not the psychosocial stress associated with a depressed mood (McDonald et al, 2020;Wadsworth & Compas, 2002;Wadsworth et al, 2008). The findings in this study are therefore unique since it focuses on strategies for coping with depressed mood and their relationship with depressive symptoms.…”

“…Few recent studies have examined the relationship between coping and depressive symptoms solely among non-clinical samples of mothers, a sub-group at high risk for clinical depression. Among multi-ethnic, low-income, married/cohabitating couples from two-parent households, coping with financial worries/economic stress predicted depressive symptoms in the presence of sociodemographic variables (i.e., income, employment status, race/ethnicity parental education) (McDonald et al, 2020;Wadsworth & Compas, 2002;Wadsworth et al, 2008). In African American mothers, specific ways of coping with intimate partner violence (IPF) predicted depressive symptoms in the presence of psychosocial variables (i.e., religiosity and social support seeking [Mitchell et al, 2006]).…”