“A Little Bit Closer”: A Mixed Method Analysis of the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lives of Adolescent Parents

Using a Family Stress Model framework, we used quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the impact of the pandemic on Latinx pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families. Participants were 406 adolescents (ages 14–19) in the southwestern U.S. who participated in a school-based relationship education program for pregnant and parenting adolescents. In the quantitative analysis, we compared self-reported mental health (depressive symptoms, worry, parental stress), coparental relationships (conflict and communication), and parenting of adolescents who participated prior to the pandemic ( N = 357; 83.6% female; 84.7% Latinx) with those who participated during the pandemic ( N = 49; 74.6% female; 87.8% Latinx). Unexpectedly, the pandemic-period cohort reported fewer depressive symptoms, less parental stress, more frequent coparental communication, and more positive coparental communication and conflict management than the pre-pandemic cohort. For the qualitative analysis, we conducted focus groups and individual interviews with 21 adolescent parents (95.2% female; 90.5% Latinx) from the pandemic-period cohort and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Participants reported many negative effects of the pandemic including increased economic and health stress, yet also discussed reduced pressure with school and more time with family members. These findings have important implications for enhancing the well-being of adolescent parents and their children after the pandemic.

Socioeconomic Status and Risk-Taking Behavior Among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Self-Control

Risk-taking behavior is particularly widespread during adolescence, and negatively impacts the healthy growth and social adaptation of adolescents. Utilizing problem-behavior theory (PBT) and the family stress model (FSM), the current study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescents’ risk-taking behavior, as well as the mediating role of psychological capital and self-control. A total of 1,156 Chinese adolescent students (Mage = 15.51, 48% boys) completed a series of questionnaires anonymously. The results showed that: (1) Socioeconomic status was negatively correlated with adolescents’ risk-taking behavior; (2) Both psychological capital and self-control mediated the relationship between SES and adolescents’ risk-taking behavior independently; and (3) Psychological capital and self-control also mediated the relationship between SES and the risk-taking behavior of adolescents sequentially. This study reveals the internal mechanism of risk-taking behavior during adolescence and provides theoretical support and empirical evidence for preventing and reducing such behavior in this age group.

Maternal Stress, Familial Ties, and Children’s Well-Being Across 23 Years

According to the family stress model, parental stress impacts child well-being through several mechanisms, which may be amplified in ethnic/racial minority families given increased experiences of stress. We extend this model to examine associations between maternal stress and child well-being at three points spanning 23 years, beginning when children were aged 8-12 years and mothers were aged 24-59 (n=193 dyads). Preliminary results indicate that maternal stressors are associated with increased depressive symptoms in childhood (B=3.56, p<0.001), and this association was stronger among Black children compared to White (B=4.12, p<0.001). Effects of maternal stress on children’s depressive symptoms strengthened among White children with proportionally larger kin networks (B=0.05, p<0.001). However, this association weakens as children enter adulthood. Future work will focus on identifying social resources that account for changes in the intergenerational effects of stress.

Caregivers’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Children’s Behavior

The COVID-19 pandemic has financial and emotional impacts on families. We explored how caregivers’ financial strain and mental health are associated with changes in their young children’s behavior during the pandemic. We additionally considered whether having a sense of purpose moderated these associations. Caregivers ( n = 300) in the emergency department of a children’s hospital were surveyed anonymously about changes to their employment (e.g., reduced/increased hours and job loss), ability to pay for expenses and whether their child’s behavior had changed. Aligned with the Family Stress Model, caregivers’ financial strain was associated with poor mental health, inconsistent sleep routines, and changes in children’s problematic and prosocial behaviors. A sense of purpose buffered some of these relationships. Families are differently affected by the pandemic and our findings underscore the need for supporting caregivers’ mental health and connecting them with resources.

Household Debt, Maternal Well-Being, and Child Adjustment in Germany: Examining the Family Stress Model by Family Structure

The amount of household debt tripled globally over the last decades and a sizable share of individuals and families are overindebted due to mortgages, credit cards, or consumer debt. Yet research on the distribution of debt across families, and potential ripple effects of the psychological burden related to debt on well-being and family relations, remains sparse. Our study aims to fill these gaps by examining the socio-demographic profiles of families that have accumulated household debt and the unique role that the psychological burden related to debt plays on associations between mothers’ well-being, parental dynamics, and child adjustment based on the Family Stress Model (FSM). We used representative survey data collected in 2019 from Germany (N = 3271), which is one of the richest economies worldwide, yet about 10% of adults reported to be overindebted. Logistic regression results showed that single mothers were less likely to have debt compared to mothers in two-parent families. However, both single mothers and mothers in stepfamilies with high levels of perceived economic strain were particularly likely to report having debt. Structural equation modeling yielded that the links between the psychological burden of debt, maternal well-being, parental dynamics, and child adjustment were largely in line with the FSM, except for single mothers. We conclude that persisting financial disparities by family structure may be partially fostered by unique characteristics of the German welfare state, such as promoting more a traditional two-parent norm, and discuss our findings in light of practical implications.

The Role of Intergenerational Relationships: Applying the Family Stress Model to Grandfamilies

The Family Stress Model (FSM) of Economic Hardship (Conger, Rueter, & Conger, 2000) was developed to explain the impact of financial stress on families through links between economic difficulties, parental emotional distress, marital conflict, disrupted parenting behaviors, and child maladjustment. The FSM has been cross validated in samples of custodial grandparents (i.e., grandparents who provide substantial care for their grandchildren; Smith et al., 2017). The current study modified the FSM by replacing inter-parent relationship difficulties with inter-generational relationship problems between the custodial grandparents and their children to ultimately examine the adjustment of the grandchildren. This change to the model is supported by prior research conducted on intergenerational stress impacting the parenting and subsequent development of children in grandfamilies (Barnett, Mills-Koonce, Gustafsson, & Cox, 2012). Using a nationwide sample of 317 custodial grandparents aged 40 and older (M = 61 yr) the fit of the modified model was tested using AMOS 26. Latent variables in the model included Economic Pressure, Caregiver Distress, Disrupted Parenting, Intergenerational Relationship, and Child Adjustment. Moderate fit was achieved (χ2(308) = 574.88; CFI = .896; RMSEA = .052). All pathways were significant with the exception of Disrupted Parenting to Child Adjustment. These results indicate that intergenerational relationships are an important predictor of child adjustment, and an applicable substitute for inter-partner relationships when modeling family stress in custodial grandfamilies. Details and clinical implications will be discussed.