Trajectories of Parent–Adolescent Relationship Quality Among At-Risk Youth: Parental Depression and Adolescent Developmental Outcomes

Abstract

Background Although the parent–adolescent relationship has been studied intensely, predictors and consequences of changes in the quality of the relationship across time have not been examined. Objectives This study examined the role of parent depression on changes in the parent–adolescent relationship, defined as support and conflict, and subsequent effects of relationship change on adolescent psychosocial outcomes including risky behavior, substance use, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness. Method Using data from a large prevention study, the sample included 110 youth at risk for high school drop out from the control condition; the sample was 48.2% of female, with a mean age of 15.9 years. The data, gathered from adolescents and their parents across a period of approximately 18 months, were analyzed using growth mixture modeling. Results Three distinct trajectories for parent–adolescent conflict (high-decreasing, low-increasing, low-stable trajectory) were identified as well as a single growth model for support, which revealed a slight decline in support across time. Parent depression was a significant predictor of perceived support, but not of membership in trajectories of conflict. Low parent–adolescent support was associated with adolescent depression and hopelessness measured 18 months post-baseline. Adolescents in the low but increasing conflict trajectory and those having a parent with depression reported increased depression and hopelessness 18 months later. Discussion Parent–Adolescent support and conflict were associated with adolescent emotional outcomes, particularly depression and hopelessness. The findings provide evidence that will inform prevention strategies to facilitate parent–adolescent support, minimize the negative impact of relationship conflict, and thereby promote healthy psychosocial outcomes for at-risk adolescence.

Caught in a vicious cycle? Explaining bidirectional spillover between parent-child relationships and peer victimization

“…Peer victimization is also a risk factor for negative parenting, which implies that children could get “captured” within reinforcing patterns of parent–child negativity and peer victimization that might become chronic and get worse over time. Such persistency is important because it has even more severe psychopathological consequences than episodic parent–child problems or peer victimization (Bowes et al, 2013; Kim, Thompson, Walsh, & Schepp, 2015).…”

“…Comparable results were found when using peer nominations as a measure of victimization (see supplemental Figure A1). than episodic parent-child problems or peer victimization (Bowes et al, 2013;Kim, Thompson, Walsh, & Schepp, 2015).…”

Conflict with Parents in Adolescent Depression: Associations with Parental Interpersonal Problems and Depressive Symptoms

“…Not finding parental depressive symptoms to be positively associated with parent-adolescent conflict was surprising, given the literature supporting this association, for both parent genders [e. g. 20,61]. However, there are other discrepant findings in the literature, such as a longitudinal study of an at-risk sample which did not find parental depression to predict conflict trajectory membership [62], and a longitudinal study of mother-adolescent conflict interactions where maternal internalising symptoms was not associated with maternal conflict behaviour [63]. Any explanation for this unexpected finding will nevertheless be speculative.…”

Longitudinal Relationships Between Parent Factors, Children’s Bullying, and Victimization Behaviors

“…Parent -child conflict, and support quality in particular, has been extensively studied among parents and adolescents [32], most likely because this is the developmental phase where teenagers learn to bid for autonomy and independence. In a longitudinal study that examined the associations between parent depressive symptoms and parent-adolescent relationship (conflict and support) among teenagers who had a high risk of dropping out of school, Kim et al [33],…”