Faculty Sponsor, if applicable
Dr. Cecilia Martinez-Torteya
Project Abstract
Studies suggest acculturative stress impacts both parenting and child internalizing problems. However, few studies have examined the interrelationships between acculturative stress, parenting, and child internalizing problems simultaneously. The current study aims to examine the predictive ability of acculturative stress on child and parent outcomes, and child internalizing problems as a mediator of the association between acculturative stress and parenting confidence. Participants included 78 caregiver-preschooler (boys=39, girls=39) dyads of primarily Latino descent recruited from Head Start preschools in Chicago, IL. Stepwise regression analyses revealed a main effect of acculturative stress on parenting confidence, and that child internalizing problems predicted parenting confidence above and beyond the effect of acculturative stress. Mediation analyses revealed an indirect effect of child internalizing problems in the association between acculturative stress and parenting confidence. Secondary mediation analyses indicated an indirect effect for parenting confidence in the link between acculturative stress and child internalizing problems, suggesting a potentially bidirectional association between parenting confidence and child internalizing problems. These findings highlight the negative impact of acculturative stress on parents and their children’s socioemotional functioning, and illuminates parenting confidence and child anxiety and depressive symptoms as mutually reinforcing targets for clinical intervention to reduce the detrimental impact of acculturative stress.
Type of Research
Junior Year Experiential Learning (JYEL)
Preview
Presentation Year
May 2016