Bidirectional Relations between Mexican American Parenting Dimensions and Youth Mental Health

The bidirectional relations between parenting behaviors and youth mental health were examined in a Mexican American adolescent sample using a transactional model. Data were collected at two time points, approximately one year apart. The sample consisted of 216 participants at Time 1 (14-19 years old) and 88 participants at Time 2. Youth reported on internalizing and externalizing symptoms as well as six maternal parenting behaviors. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted with T1 data to test a two-factor structure of parenting behaviors: Supportive Parenting and Harsh Parental Control. Strong evidence was found for higher T1 internalizing symptoms uniquely predicting lower T2 Supportive Parenting when accounting for the variance in T1 Supportive Parenting and externalizing symptoms and T2 Harsh Parental Control. Evidence was also found for higher T1 externalizing symptoms predicting higher T2 Harsh Parental Control when accounting for variance in T1 Harsh Parental Control and internalizing symptoms. Parenting behaviors, however, did not predict youth mental health symptoms as expected. An ecodevelopmental framework including culture, neighborhood context, and developmental stage were used to interpret findings.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Manongdo, Jennifer A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ramirez Garcia, Jorge I.
• Larson, Reed W.
• Raffaelli, Marcela
• Wiley, Angela R.

• parenting
• mental health
• Adolescents
• Latino

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2010 Jennifer A. Manongdo

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/18221

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/18221