Exposure to violence and parenting as mediators between poverty and psychological symptoms in urban African American adolescents.
The present study builds on past research that has found support for a conceptual model in which poverty is linked with adolescent psychological symptoms through economic stressors and impaired parenting. The present study examined this model in a sample of urban African American mothers and their adolescent children. In addition, an alternative hypothesis was examined: that exposure to community violence mediates the relation between poverty and psychological symptoms in urban youth. Limited support was found for a model in which poverty is linked with internalizing symptoms through exposure to community violence and with externalizing symptoms through economic stressors and inconsistent discipline. Interpretations, limitations, and directions for future research are outlined.
Grant
Kathryn E
KE
Department of Psychology, DePaul University, 2219 North Kenmore Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614-3504, USA. kgrant@depaul.edu
McCormick
Anthony
A
Poindexter
LaShaunda
L
Simpkins
Tandra
T
Janda
Cassandra M
CM
Thomas
Kina J
KJ
Campbell
Amanda
A
Carleton
Russell
R
Taylor
Jeremy
J
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D016487:Parenting; D011203:Poverty; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence