title: Effects of economic hardship on adolescent self-esteem: a family mediation model.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between economic hardship, family relationships, and adolescent self-esteem in a sample of 387 midwestern families. The results of LISREL analyses showed that economic hardship had an adverse effect on adolescent self-esteem, and that this effect was primarily mediated through the parent-adolescent relationship. The data also indicated that the marital relationship was negatively affected by economic hardship, but there was no direct relationship between parents' marital relationship and adolescents' self-esteem. The findings of this study are consistent with the theory that economic hardship reduces affective parental support and may thus convey a negative appraisal of the adolescent thereby lowering his or her self-esteem.
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, Mary Greeley Medical Center, Ames, IA 50010, USA.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lempers
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Clark-Lempers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010553:Personality Development; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support