Within-family differences in internalizing behaviors: the role of children's perspectives of the mother-child relationship.
The goal of this exploratory, within-family, longitudinal study was to examine whether children's perspectives of the mother-child relationship explained within-family differences in children's responses to a shared family stressor (maternal depressive symptoms) over time. Children (ages 8 to 15 years; N = 68) residing in 34 families were drawn from a general population study in the UK. Predictor variables were assessed at Time 1 and change in internalizing behavior from Time 1 to Time 2 (2 years later) was examined. As children were nested within families, data were analyzed using multilevel modeling, controlling for previous child behavior. Child perspective of the mother-child relationship, in interaction with maternal depressive symptoms, was found to explain within-family differences in internalizing over time. Children with a negative perspective (compared to mothers' perspectives) were the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of maternal depressive symptoms.
Frampton
Kristen L
KL
Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 1V6. kframpton@oise.utoronto.ca
Jenkins
Jennifer M
JM
Dunn
Judy
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D002666:Psychology, Child / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors