Adolescent Mental Health Resilience and Combinations of Caregiver Monitoring and Warmth: A Person-centred Perspective.
Saved in:
| Title: | Adolescent Mental Health Resilience and Combinations of Caregiver Monitoring and Warmth: A Person-centred Perspective. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Theron, Linda, Rothmann, Sebastiaan, Makhnach, Alexander, Ungar, Michael |
| Source: | Journal of Child & Family Studies. Oct2022, Vol. 31 Issue 10, p2860-2870. 11p. 4 Charts, 3 Graphs. |
| Subjects: | Mental health, Parenting, Behavior disorders in children, Depression in adolescence, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Parent-child relationships, Data analysis software |
| Geographic Terms: | South Africa |
| Abstract: | Caregiver monitoring and warmth have protective mental health effects for adolescents, including vulnerable adolescents. However, combinations of the aforesaid parenting behaviours and their relationship with adolescent mental health are underexplored, especially among younger and older South African (SA) adolescents challenged by structural disadvantage. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate unique profiles of caregiver monitoring and warmth and their associations with depression and conduct problems as reported by younger and older adolescents from disadvantaged SA communities. Latent profile and linear regression analyses were used to examine cross-sectional survey data generated by 891 adolescents from two disadvantaged SA communities (62.2% aged 13–17 [average age: 16.13]; 37.5% aged 18–24 [average age: 20.62]). Two profiles emerged. The first, i.e. substantial caregiver warmth and some monitoring, was associated with younger and older adolescent reports of statistically significantly fewer symptoms of depression and conduct problems. The second, i.e. caregiver monitoring without much warmth, was associated with significantly more symptoms of depression or conduct problems among younger and older adolescents. Traditional gender effects (i.e. higher depression symptoms among girls; higher conduct problem symptoms among boys) were amplified when caregiver monitoring was combined with low warmth. In short, protecting the mental health of younger and older adolescents from disadvantaged communities requires higher levels of caregiver warmth combined with moderate levels of caregiver supervision. Because stressors associated with disadvantaged communities jeopardise warm parenting, supporting caregiver resilience to those stressors is integral to supporting adolescent mental health. Highlights: Considerable caregiver warmth combined with moderate caregiver supervision protected the mental health of adolescents from disadvantaged study communities. This protective association held for younger (13–17 years) and older (18–24 years) adolescents. Most caregivers from the disadvantaged study communities parented warmly; capacity for warm parenting in the face of disadvantage must be acknowledged and sustained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Child & Family Studies is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Caregiver monitoring and warmth have protective mental health effects for adolescents, including vulnerable adolescents. However, combinations of the aforesaid parenting behaviours and their relationship with adolescent mental health are underexplored, especially among younger and older South African (SA) adolescents challenged by structural disadvantage. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate unique profiles of caregiver monitoring and warmth and their associations with depression and conduct problems as reported by younger and older adolescents from disadvantaged SA communities. Latent profile and linear regression analyses were used to examine cross-sectional survey data generated by 891 adolescents from two disadvantaged SA communities (62.2% aged 13–17 [average age: 16.13]; 37.5% aged 18–24 [average age: 20.62]). Two profiles emerged. The first, i.e. substantial caregiver warmth and some monitoring, was associated with younger and older adolescent reports of statistically significantly fewer symptoms of depression and conduct problems. The second, i.e. caregiver monitoring without much warmth, was associated with significantly more symptoms of depression or conduct problems among younger and older adolescents. Traditional gender effects (i.e. higher depression symptoms among girls; higher conduct problem symptoms among boys) were amplified when caregiver monitoring was combined with low warmth. In short, protecting the mental health of younger and older adolescents from disadvantaged communities requires higher levels of caregiver warmth combined with moderate levels of caregiver supervision. Because stressors associated with disadvantaged communities jeopardise warm parenting, supporting caregiver resilience to those stressors is integral to supporting adolescent mental health. Highlights: Considerable caregiver warmth combined with moderate caregiver supervision protected the mental health of adolescents from disadvantaged study communities. This protective association held for younger (13–17 years) and older (18–24 years) adolescents. Most caregivers from the disadvantaged study communities parented warmly; capacity for warm parenting in the face of disadvantage must be acknowledged and sustained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 10621024 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10826-022-02287-0 |
