The impact of cultural stress on family functioning among Puerto Rican displaced families and the effect on mental health.

Hurricane María caused significant devastation on the island of Puerto Rico, impacting thousands of lives. Puerto Rican crisis migrant families faced stress related to displacement and relocation (cultural stress), often exhibited mental health symptoms, and experienced distress at the family level. Although cultural stress has been examined as an individual experience, little work has focused on the experience as a family. To address this gap, we conducted a mixed-methods study designed to examine the predictive effects of cultural stress on family conflict and its mental health implications among Puerto Rican Hurricane María parent and child dyads living on the U.S. mainland. In the quantitative phase of the study, 110 parent-child dyads completed an online survey assessing cultural stress, family dynamics, and mental health. As part of our primary analysis, we estimated a structural equation path model. Findings from the quantitative phase showed a significant positive relationship between family cultural stress and family conflict, as well as individual parent and child mental health symptoms. In the qualitative phase of the study, 35 parent-child dyads participated in individual interviews. Findings from the interviews revealed variations in difficulties related to language, discrimination, and financial burdens, with some participants adapting more quickly and experiencing fewer stressors. Findings also highlight the impact on mental health for both parents and youth, emphasizing the family-level nature of cultural stress, while noting a potential discrepancy between qualitative and quantitative findings in the discussion of family conflict.

Recreating diasporic identity and community: Examination of transgender and nonbinary latinx healing from family rejection.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of healing from family rejection among transgender and nonbinary Latinx individuals. Participants were asked how they navigated family dynamics related to gender identity and specific behaviors or resources that promoted their healing from experiences of family rejection. Data from 12 interviews with Latinx nonbinary and transgender adults were analyzed through a critical-constructivist grounded theory method resulting in a hierarchy composed of three clusters related to the core category (healing from family rejection leads to the recreation of diasporic identity and community as one learns to live authentically in their ethnic/racial gendered expression). These clusters included recreation of the family system, community-based cultural healing, and autonomy in trans identity and psychological well-being. Relevant contributions to research and implications for psychologists are reviewed: (a) Latinx diasporic identity formation is facilitated through the reconstruction of familial relationships and cultural healing, and (b) chosen family and supportive community networks may adopt the responsibility of ethnic-racial socialization after proximity to family of origin is lost. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Asian American child-parent cultural value discrepancies, family conflict, life satisfaction, and self-esteem.

We examined Asian American college students' adherence to traditional values that are salient in Asian cultures, the students' perceptions of their mother's and father's adherence to the same values, and the discrepancies between the students and their mothers and fathers on the levels of adherence to these values. Based on the data from 301 participants who self-identified as Asian Americans, paired-samples t tests revealed that the child-parent cultural value discrepancies were present across all generational statuses of the participants with the children adhering less strongly to most of the value dimensions than their parents. The results based on correlational analyses showed that many types of value discrepancies were positively associated with the likelihood and seriousness of conflict. Several types of value discrepancies also were inversely associated with the participants' life satisfaction and self-esteem. In addition, the results from the PROCESS Macro for mediation analysis revealed significant mediation role of family conflict on the relationships between various types of value discrepancies and life satisfaction. The significant mediators were the likelihood and seriousness of family conflict and the family conflict about education and career decisions, and the value discrepancies centered on the values of conformity to norms, family recognition through achievement, and humility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Explaining the Asian American Youth Paradox: Universal Factors versus Asian American Family Process Among Filipino and Korean American Youth.

This study used longitudinal survey data of Filipino American and Korean American youth to examine ways in which universal factors (e.g., peer antisocial behaviors and parent-child conflict) and Asian American (AA) family process variables (e.g., gendered norms) independently and collectively predict grade point average (GPA), externalizing, and internalizing problems. We aimed to explain the "Asian American youth paradox" in which low externalizing problems and high GPA coexist with high internalizing problems. We found that universal factors were extensively predictive of youth problems and remained robust when AA family process was accounted for. AA family process also independently explained youth development and, in part, the AA youth paradox. For example, gendered norms increased mental distress. Academic controls did the opposite of what it is intended, that is, had a negative impact on GPA as well as other developmental domains. Family obligation, assessed by family-centered activities and helping out, was beneficial to both externalizing and internalizing youth outcomes. Parental implicit affection, one of the distinct traits of AA parenting, was beneficial, particularly for GPA. This study provided important empirical evidence that can guide cross-cultural parenting and meaningfully inform intervention programs for AA youth.

Este estudio utilizó datos de una encuesta longitudinal de jóvenes filipinoamericanos y coreanoamericanos para analizar las maneras en las que los factores universales (p. ej.:las conductas antisociales entre pares y el conflicto entre padres e hijos) y las variables de los procesos familiares asiáticoamericanos (p. ej.: las normas de género) predicen independientemente y colectivamente el promedio de calificaciones y los problemas interiorizados y exteriorizados. Nos propusimos explicar la "paradoja de los jóvenes asiáticoamericanos" en la cual un bajo grado de problemas exteriorizados y un alto promedio de calificaciones coexisten con un alto grado de problemas interiorizados. Descubrimos que los factores universales fueron en gran parte predictivos de los problemas de los jóvenes y se mantuvieron firmes cuando se tuvo en cuenta el proceso familiar asiáticoamericano. El proceso familiar asiáticoamericano también explicó independientemente el desarrollo de los jóvenes y, en parte, la paradoja de los jóvenes asiáticoamericanos. Por ejemplo, las normas de género aumentaron el distrés mental. Los controles académicos hicieron lo opuesto a lo deseado, por ejemplo, tuvieron un efecto negativo en el promedio de calificaciones así como en otras áreas del desarrollo. La obligación familiar, evaluada por actividades centradas en la familia y por la colaboración, fue beneficiosa tanto para los resultados exteriorizados como interiorizados de los jóvenes. El afecto implícito de los padres, uno de los rasgos distintivos de la crianza de los asiáticoamericanos, fue beneficioso, particularmente para el promedio de calificaciones. Este estudio ofreció importante conocimiento empírico que puede guiar la crianza intercultural y respaldar de manera significativa programas de intervención para jóvenes asiáticoamericanos.

Trauma Exposure and Mental Health Symptoms in Rural Latinx Adolescents: The Role of Family Processes.

Previous research suggests that rural Latinx youth are more likely to experience traumatic events and are at higher risk for developing subsequent psychopathology compared to non-Latinx white youth. The aim of this study is to understand how family processes and values affect risk for internalizing and externalizing symptoms among rural Latinx youth (N = 648, mage = 15.7 (SD = 1.2)) who are exposed to trauma. Multiple mediation analyses were performed to understand if family variables such as familism and family conflict explain the relationship between trauma exposure and psychopathology. Results suggest that familism partially mediates the relationship between trauma exposure and internalizing and externalizing symptoms, whereas family conflict partially mediates the relationship between trauma exposure and externalizing symptoms. These findings show that family variables are differentially impacted by trauma and have a separate and unique impact on mental health outcomes among rural Latinx youth. Specifically, our findings suggest that familial support or closeness may constitute a nonspecific protective factor for psychopathology among Latinx youth, whereas family conflict creates a stressful home environment that may deter adolescent trauma recovery and lead specifically to externalizing symptoms.

Coparenting Conflict and Cooperation between Parents and Grandparents in Vietnamese Families: The Role of Grandparent Psychological Control and Parent-Grandparent Communication.

Shared care between parents and grandparents is common in Asian cultures. This cocare practice provides many benefits to families but is also particularly complex, as both parents and grandparents must simultaneously fulfill their roles as cocaregivers as well as maintain their relationship with each other. This study aims to explore the determinants of coparenting relationships between parents and grandparents in Vietnam. Data were collected from 501 Vietnamese parents whose aging parents are active carers for their children. The results indicated that grandparent psychological control and parent-grandparent quality of communication explain the largest variance in both parent-grandparent coparenting conflict and cooperation. The results suggest that parenting interventions aimed at the Asian cultures, where grandparent care is common, may benefit from the inclusion of a content focus on promoting the coparenting relationship between parents and grandparents.

El cuidado compartido entre abuelos y padres es común en las culturas asiáticas. Esta práctica de cocuidado ofrece muchos beneficios a las familias pero también es particularmente compleja, ya que tanto los padres como los abuelos deben cumplir sus roles simultáneamente como cocuidadores y también mantener su relación mutua. Este estudio tiene como finalidad analizar los determinantes de las relaciones de cocrianza entre los padres y los abuelos en Vietnam. Se recopilaron datos de 501 padres vietnamitas cuyos padres de la tercera edad son cuidadores activos de sus hijos. Los resultados indicaron que el control psiscológico de los abuelos y la calidad de la comunicación entre los padres y los abuelos explican la mayor varianza en el conflicto y la cooperación en la cocrianza entre padres y abuelos. Los resultados sugieren que las intervenciones en la crianza orientadas a las culturas asiáticas, donde el cuidado de los abuelos es común, pueden beneficiarse de la inclusión de un contenido centrado en promover la relación de cocrianza entre padres y abuelos.

Exploration of a Marital Typology: Implications for Marital Functioning in a Multi-Ethnic Sample.

Marital conflict is associated with multiple negative outcomes for couples, including marital dissatisfaction and divorce. Little research, however, has examined conflict in Hispanic/Latino couples or its association with marital satisfaction, which creates an unfortunate knowledge gap for clinicians working with diverse client groups. The present study sought to examine both marital conflict and satisfaction using a sample of 231 European American (EA; n = 108) and Hispanic/Latino (H/L; n = 123) couples. Through observational coding, couples were placed into four groups based on their type of conflict management strategies: Harmonious, Withdrawn, Conflictual-Expressive, or Conflictual-Hostile. For both ethnic groups, couples in the Harmonious group were nondistressed and couples in the Conflictual-Hostile group were in the distressed range of marital satisfaction. Cross-ethnic differences emerged. EA couples experienced distress when both hostile (Conflictual-Hostile) and nonhostile conflict (Conflictual-Expressive) communication types were observed, while only hostile conflict was associated with distress for the H/L group. H/L couples reported similar levels of satisfaction in both the Harmonious and Conflictual-Expressive groups. H/L couples also fell within the distressed range when withdrawn communication patterns were observed; however, this was not the case for EA couples. These differences suggest that both types of conflict are associated with marital distress for EA couples, whereas hostile conflict and withdrawn behavior appear to be more negatively associated with marital satisfaction in H/L couples. Results provide support for the use of an observational coding system with H/L and EA couples and also suggest the importance of understanding how differences in expressions of conflict across ethnicities may relate to marital satisfaction.

El conflicto conyugal está asociado con numerosos resultados negativos para las parejas, incluida la insatisfacción conyugal y el divorcio. Sin embargo, pocas investigaciones han analizado el conflicto en las parejas hispanas/latinas o su asociación con la satisfacción conyugal, lo cual crea una desafortunada laguna de conocimiento para los profesionales que trabajan con grupos de pacientes diversos. El presente estudio tuvo como finalidad analizar tanto el conflicto como la satisfacción conyugal utilizando una muestra de 231 parejas euroamericanas (EA; n = 108) e hispanas/latinas (H/L; n = 123). Mediante la codificación observacional, se colocó a las parejas en cuatro grupos según su tipo de estrategias de gestión de conflictos: armonioso, retraído, conflictivo-expresivo o conflictivo-hostil. En ambos grupos étnicos, las parejas del grupo armonioso eran parejas sin distrés y las parejas del grupo conflictivo-hostil estaban en el rango de distrés en la satisfacción conyugal. Surgieron diferencias interétnicas. Las parejas EA sufrieron distrés cuando se observaron los tipos de comunicación ante el conflicto hostil (conflictivo-hostil) y no hostil (conflictivo-expresivo), mientras que solo el conflicto hostil estuvo asociado con el distrés para el grupo H/L. Las parejas H/L informaron niveles similares de satisfacción tanto en el grupo armonioso como en el conflictivo-expresivo. Las parejas H/L también quedaron dentro del rango con distrés cuando se observaron patrones de comunicación retraídos; sin embargo, esto no fue así para las parejas EA. Estas diferencias sugieren que ambos tipos de conflicto están asociados con el distrés conyugal para las parejas EA, mientras que el conflicto hostil y el comportamiento retraído parecen estar más negativamente asociados con la satisfacción conyugal en las parejas H/L. Los resultados respaldan el uso de un sistema de codificación observacional con parejas H/L y EA, y también sugieren la importancia de comprender cómo las diferencias en las expresiones de conflicto entre las etnias pueden relacionarse con la satisfacción conyugal.

Epigenetic aging in children from a small-scale farming society in The Congo Basin: Associations with child growth and family conflict.

Developmental environments influence individuals' long-term health trajectories, and there is increasing emphasis on understanding the biological pathways through which this occurs. Epigenetic aging evaluates DNA methylation at a suite of distinct CpG sites in the genome, and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is linked to heightened chronic morbidity and mortality risks in adults. Consequently, EAA provides insights on trajectories of biological aging, which early life experiences may help shape. However, few studies have measured correlates of children's epigenetic aging, especially outside of the U.S. and Europe. In particular, little is known about how children's growth and development relate to EAA in ecologies in which energetic and pathogenic stressors are commonplace. We studied EAA from dried blood spots among Bondongo children (n = 54) residing in a small-scale, fisher-farmer society in a remote region of the Republic of the Congo. Here, infectious disease burdens and their resultant energy demands are high. Children who were heavier for height or taller for age, respectively, exhibited greater EAA, including intrinsic EAA, which is considered to measure EAA internal to cells. Furthermore, we found that children in families with more conflict between parents had greater intrinsic EAA. These results suggest that in contexts in which limited energy must be allocated to competing demands, more investment in growth may coincide with greater EAA, which parallels findings in European children who do not face similar energetic constraints. Our findings also indicate that associations between adverse family environments and greater intrinsic EAA were nonetheless observable but only after adjustment for covariates relevant to the energetically and immunologically demanding nature of the local ecology.

Parent-offspring conflict unlikely to explain 'child marriage' in northwestern Tanzania.

Approximately 40% of women in sub-Saharan Africa marry before their eighteenth birthday1. Within the international development sector, this phenomenon is referred to as 'child marriage', widely equated to forced marriage, and recognized as damaging to multiple dimensions of female well-being1,2. An escalating global campaign to end early marriage typically assumes that its high prevalence is driven by a conflict of interests between parents and daughters, with parents coercing daughters to marry early for the parents' economic benefit3. However, a parent-offspring conflict model of early marriage has not been explicitly tested. Here we present a study of marriage transitions in rural Tanzania, where marriage before or just after 18 years of age is normative. Consistent with parental coercion, we find that bridewealth transfers are highest for younger brides. However, autonomy in partner choice is very common at all ages, relationships between age at marriage and female well-being are largely equivocal, and women who marry early achieve relatively higher reproductive success. We conclude that, in contexts in which adolescents have autonomy in marriage choices and in which marriage promotes economic and social security, early marriage may be better understood as serving the strategic interests of both parents and daughters.

Featured Article: Comparison of Diabetes Management Trajectories in Hispanic versus White Non-Hispanic Youth with Type 1 Diabetes across Early Adolescence.

OBJECTIVE: Ethnic minority youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) often have poorer glycemic control and lower rates of adherence compared to White Non-Hispanic (WNH) youth. Variables such as family conflict, autonomy support, and youth regimen responsibility have been shown to change over adolescence and impact diabetes management. However, these factors have been investigated in predominantly White samples. Few studies have examined potential differences in these variables and their trajectories for Hispanic youth over early adolescence. METHODS: Youth with T1D (178 WNH and 33 Hispanic youth participants), as well as their maternal caregivers (174 WNH and 32 Hispanic maternal caregivers), completed measures of diabetes-specific autonomy support, diabetes-related family conflict, regimen responsibility, and blood glucose monitoring frequency at 4 timepoints over a 3-year period. RESULTS: At baseline, Hispanic youth had significantly poorer glycemic control, more family conflict, and fewer blood glucose checks on average compared to WNH youth. Similar to WNH youth, Hispanic youth have increasing independence for regimen tasks and decreasing parent autonomy support during this developmental period. However, while Hispanic youth had worsening diabetes management during early adolescence (as did WNH youth), Hispanic parents reported a more gradual change in youth's diabetes management over early adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents an important contribution to the existing literature on youth with T1D. Findings suggest potential strengths and targets for Hispanic youth navigating diabetes management during the adolescent period. It is important to continue to investigate the trajectories of ethnic minority youth with diabetes.

Socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health: role of work-to-family conflict in married Korean working women.

Little evidence exists on the role of work-to-family conflict (WFC) in explaining socioeconomic inequality in self-rated health (SRH). We examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and SRH and tested the mediating effect of WFC in the association between SES and SRH among married Korean working women. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2014 Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Family. Participants were 3,226 women. Three SES indicators were used: income as measured by income-to-needs ratio; education categorized into college vs. noncollege education levels; and occupation classified by white vs. pink/blue-collar occupations. Lower levels of all the SES indicators were significantly associated with poor SRH and higher levels of WFC. The higher levels of WFC were also significantly associated with poor SRH. In the relation between SES and SRH, WFC showed a partial mediating effect for income (z = -4.13, p < .001) and full mediating effects for education (z = -3.79, p < .001) and occupation (z = -4.59, p < .001). WFC played a mediating role in explaining socioeconomic health inequality among married Korean working women. Workplace strategies focused on alleviating the WFC levels of socioeconomically disadvantaged married women may be crucial for improving their health status.

Pathways linking intergenerational cultural dissonance and alcohol use among Asian American youth: The role of family conflict, parental involvement, and peer behavior.

A difference in degree of acculturation between immigrant parents and children, known as intergenerational cultural dissonance (ICD), is a risk factor for adolescent alcohol use. We used path analysis with 292 Vietnamese and Cambodian adolescents from immigrant families in the United States to measure potential mediators (family conflict, parental involvement/monitoring, association with deviant peers) of the ICD-alcohol use relationship. The hypothesized model was an adequate data fit among both groups. Among Cambodian adolescents, higher ICD levels significantly predicted increased family conflict, which in turn was associated with reduced parental involvement/monitoring, increased association with deviant peers, and a subsequently higher risk of alcohol use (p < .05 for all coefficients). We also found significant indirect effects of ICD on alcohol use among Vietnamese adolescents through family conflict and parental involvement/monitoring (p < .05 for all coefficients) but not through peer behavior. For both groups, there was no direct effect of ICD on alcohol use outside these pathways. Identification of significant mediators provides potential targets for preventing alcohol use among these populations. In addition, differences in path coefficients between Vietnamese and Cambodian adolescents underscore the importance of conducting analyses stratified by Asian ethnic group.

Family stress processes and drug and alcohol use by Mexican American adolescents.

The present study examines the influence of economic and family stress processes on change in drug and alcohol use in a cohort of 478 Mexican American youth (50.8% female) followed longitudinally beginning in Grade 5 when the youth averaged 10.4 years of age. Adolescents, their mothers (median age 36 at Grade 5), and their fathers (median age 39 at Grade 5) were assessed on economic hardship (Grades 5 through 7), family stress processes (Grades 5 through 9), and adolescent substance use (Grades 7 through 9). Hypotheses were derived from a culturally informed family stress model (FSM), which proposes that economic hardship initiates a sequential cascade of problems involving parents' emotional distress, interparental conflict, disruptions in parenting and increased risk for adolescent substance use. Structural equation modeling was used to test these hypothesized linkages and the findings were consistent with predictions derived from the FSM. The results also demonstrated that parents' familism moderated the association between parent distress and interparental conflict, acting as a source of resilience in this family stress process. Findings suggest that prevention and intervention efforts focused on reducing caregiver distress and interparental conflict and enhancing parenting practices, as well as policies that reduce the level of economic hardship experienced by families, may aid in the reduction of adolescent substance use. Additionally, interventions focused on facilitating the cultural value of familism may promote more positive interactions between Mexican American parents which, in turn, may promote more effective parenting practices that help to reduce the risk for adolescent substance use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal associations of family stressors, fathers' warmth, and Korean children's externalizing behaviors.

This study examined the indirect mechanisms linking family stressors (i.e., negative family life events, paternal psychological distress, and couple conflict) to children's later externalizing behavior problems through fathers' warm parenting behaviors among Korean families. Three waves of longitudinal data were drawn from the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) and included 1,784 families (fathers Mage = 36.27, mothers Mage = 33.79, and children Mage = 3.23). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and showed that negative family life events were associated with children's later externalizing problems via higher levels of couple conflict and lower levels of paternal warmth. In addition, family life events were related to children's subsequent externalizing problems via higher levels of fathers' psychological distress (i.e., depression and low self-efficacy) and lower levels of paternal warmth. Paternal psychological distress and couple conflict were indirectly linked to children's externalizing problems through fathers' warmth. Results show that fathers' characteristics and experiences are related to fathers' positive parenting, which in turn contribute to children's behavior problems. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual, relational, and contextual family stressors through which fathers' parenting contributes to children's later behavioral outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Intergenerational gaps in Mexican American values trajectories: Associations with parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent psychopathology.

Growth mixture modeling with a sample of 749 Mexican heritage families identified parallel trajectories of adolescents' and their mothers' heritage cultural values and parallel trajectories of adolescents' and their fathers' heritage cultural values from Grades 5 to 10. Parallel trajectory profiles were then used to test cultural gap-distress theory that predicts increased parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent psychopathology over time when adolescents become less aligned with Mexican heritage values compared to their parents. Six similar parallel profiles were identified for the mother-youth and father-youth dyads, but only one of the six was consistent with the hypothesized problem gap pattern in which adolescents' values were declining over time to become more discrepant from their parents. When compared to families in the other trajectory groups as a whole, mothers in the mother-adolescent problem gap trajectory group reported higher levels of mother-adolescent conflict in the 10th grade that accounted for subsequent increases in internalizing and externalizing symptoms assessed in 12th grade. Although the findings provided some support for cultural gap-distress predictions, they were not replicated with adolescent report of conflict nor with the father-adolescent trajectory group analyses. Exploratory pairwise comparisons between all six mother-adolescent trajectory groups revealed additional differences that qualified and extended these findings.

The role of bicultural adaptation, familism, and family conflict in Mexican American adolescents' cortisol reactivity.

Scarce research has examined stress responsivity among Latino youths, and no studies have focused on the role of acculturation in shaping cortisol stress response in this population. This study assessed Mexican American adolescents' Mexican and Anglo cultural orientations and examined prospective associations between their patterns of bicultural orientation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortisol reactivity to an adapted Trier Social Stress Test. The sample included 264 youths from a longitudinal birth cohort study who completed the Trier Social Stress Test and provided saliva samples at age 14. The youths completed assessments of cultural orientation at age 12, and family conflict and familism at age 14. Analyses testing the interactive effects of Anglo and Mexican orientation showed significant associations with cortisol responsivity, including the reactivity slope, peak levels, and recovery, but these associations were not mediated by family conflict nor familism values. Findings revealed that bicultural youth (high on both Anglo and Mexican orientations) showed an expected pattern of high cortisol responsivity, which may be adaptive in the context of a strong acute stressor, whereas individuals endorsing only high levels of Anglo orientation had a blunted cortisol response. Findings are discussed in relation to research on biculturalism and the trade-offs and potential recalibration of a contextually responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis for acculturating adolescents.

Stability of Attachment Style in Adolescence: An Empirical Test of Alternative Developmental Processes.

Few studies have examined stability and change in attachment during adolescence. This 5-year longitudinal study (a) examined whether prototype or revisionist developmental dynamics better characterized patterns of stability and change in adolescent attachment (at T1, N = 176; Mage  = 14.0 years, SD = 0.9), (b) tested potential moderators of prototype-like attachment stability, and (c) compared attachment stability in adolescence to stability in adulthood. The results supported the prototype model, which assumes that there is a stable, enduring factor underlying stability and change in attachment. Exploratory moderation analyses revealed that family conflict, parental separation or divorce, minority status, and male sex might undermine the prototype-like stability of adolescent attachment. Stability of attachment was lower in adolescence relative to adulthood.

Conflict with Mothers and Siblings During Caregiving: Differential Costs for Black and White Adult Children.

Objectives: Family conflict has been found to play a role in caregivers' psychological well-being; however, few studies have considered race differences in the prevalence and consequences of caregiving conflict. In this paper, we use mixed-methods to examine differences in the experiences of conflict among Black and White adult children caring for mothers. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 279 adult-child caregivers (213 White; 66 Black). Results: Multilevel modeling revealed that conflict with mothers predicted depressive symptoms among Black, but not White caregivers, whereas there were not statistically significant race differences in the effects of conflict with siblings. However within-model tests showed stronger effects of conflict with mothers than siblings for Black caregivers, and stronger effects of conflict with siblings than mothers for White caregivers. Qualitative data revealed that Black caregivers' conflict with mothers resulted from their inability to meet their mothers' needs, inducing concern and sadness. White children's conflict stemmed from mothers' resistance to unwanted assistance and requests for support that children considered excessive, evoking irritation and frustration. Discussion: This study highlights ways in which the experiences of caregivers reflect broader patterns of differences between Black and White families in both intergenerational cohesion and health disparities in midlife.

Time-varying associations of parent-adolescent cultural conflict and youth adjustment among Chinese American families.

The purpose of this study was to examine time-varying associations of parent-adolescent cultural conflict with depressive symptoms and grade point average (GPA) among Chinese Americans from ages 11-22. We pooled two independently collected longitudinal data sets (N = 760 at Wave 1) and used time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) to show that the frequency of parent-adolescent conflict increased during early adolescence (12 years), peaked at mid adolescence (16 years), and gradually decreased throughout late adolescence and young adulthood. In general, parent-adolescent conflict was associated with negative adjustment (more depressive symptoms and lower GPA) more strongly during mid- to late-adolescence (15 to 17 years) compared with other developmental periods. These time-varying associations differed slightly by gender, at least for GPA. Our findings provide important developmental knowledge of parent-adolescent conflict for Chinese American youth and suggest that attention to conflict and links to adjustment is especially relevant during mid to late adolescence. Our study also illustrates the usefulness of integrative data analysis and TVEM to investigate how the strength of conflict-adjustment associations might change throughout development. (PsycINFO Database Record

The moderating effect of neighborhood sense of community on predictors of substance use among Hispanic urban youth.

Hispanic adolescents represent a disproportionate number of youth living in urban communities. These youth confront significant social problems that increase their likelihood for substance use. However, youth that have a greater neighborhood sense of community are postulated, through empowerment theory, to be less influenced by negative environmental experiences and less inclined to engage in drug and alcohol use. We examine the moderating effect neighborhood SOC has on predictors of substance use among Hispanic (N = 538) urban youth in low- (n = 246) and high-conflict homes (n = 292). Using logistic regression analysis and a plotting technique to examine interaction effects, we explore these relationships and provide recommendations for practice and prevention.