Family Science

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2239

Formerly known as the Department of Family Studies.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Adolescents

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    The Role of Cross-cultural Experiences and Ethnic Identity in Transracial Adoptees' Self-esteem
    (2015) Stephenson, Jocylynn Briann; Leslie, Leigh A; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Research into mental health outcomes of minority transracial adoptees has been fueled by debate over white parents' ability to prepare minority children for experiences of individual and institutional racism. However, studies show transracial adoptees do not differ from others in self-esteem, one criterion used to gauge mental health. Among minorities, ethnic identity is correlated with self-esteem, but studies show that transracially adopted adolescents often face ambiguous ethnic identity. Cross-cultural experiences have proven to increase ethnic identity in minorities, but little research has been done on their effect among transracial adoptees. The current study explored whether cross-cultural experiences bolster self-esteem in minority transracial adoptees through mediation of adoptees' ethnic identity. One-hundred-three transracially adopted minority adolescents completed online self-report surveys. Results indicated a significant negative link between cross-cultural experiences and ethnic identity and a moderately significant negative link between cross-cultural experiences and self-esteem in this population. Findings and possible explanations are discussed.
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    "I've Got to Help as Best I Can:" The Experiences of Predominately Low-Income African American Parents and Caregivers Involved with the Mental Health Care System and Their Responses to Adolescents' Depressive Disorder Diagnoses
    (2015) Messina, Lauren A.; Anderson, Elaine A.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Many mental health disorders are often diagnosed in adolescence, suggesting the well-being of adolescent mental health should be a public health priority. The prevalence of adolescent mental health issues has led researchers to investigate treatment utilization and effectiveness. Findings suggest there is a vast underutilization of care for adolescents and an even greater deficit in family involvement in adolescent mental health care. Yet, existing research neither offers a sound understanding of how parents interpret and understand their child's mental health diagnosis, nor how the parent-child relationship and parental involvement in treatment is experienced. A qualitative approach examined parents' and caregivers' perceptions of their adolescents' mental health disorder and how parents made decisions about their involvement in their adolescent's treatment in a sample of families already engaged with the mental health care system. Semi-structured interviews with 33 predominately low-income African American parents and caregivers who had parented a teenager diagnosed and/or treated for a depressive disorder when the family was the recipient of Medicaid were conducted. The Ecological Risk and Resilience Framework facilitated an understanding of the dynamics shaping parental involvement in adolescent mental health care. Grounded theory was used to analyze the data. Findings suggest parents' involvement in the diagnosis process may be initiated after a build-up of problematic events, often identified from sources outside the family. Parental responses to the teens' diagnoses included feeling relief but also confusion, while advocating for the needs of their teenager. The parent-child relationship post-diagnosis reflected four actions: parents being protective, showing patience and empathy, increasing communication with their teen, and teaching the teen accountability. Parents reported they had agency in making decisions about the teen's treatment. They wanted active involvement and saw their involvement as having mutual benefits for both themselves and their teen. Three encouraging components enhanced parental involvement: positive mental health care provider and parent interactions, the parents' own mental health and exposure to mental health care, and spirituality. The availability of insurance also positively supported more involvement. Care barriers included family or teen resistance and lack of resources. Race/ethnicity shaped the expectations parents had of the mental health care system but did not shape parental involvement in treatment. Strategies for forging greater parental connections with mental health treatment and the role mental health care professionals play in this partnership are discussed.
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    Longitudinal Effects of Mother-Daughter Relationships on Young Women's Sexual Risk Behaviors
    (2011) Berger, Amanda Tennyson; Hofferth, Sandra; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Among adolescent and young adult women, sexual risk behaviors represent a critical public health concern. This study used Waves I, II, and III of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to compare two theories of maternal influence on daughters' sexual risk behaviors: parenting style versus social learning theory. Associations between maternal parenting style (based on Wave I warmth and control) and mother-daughter communication about sex (based on Wave I comfort and frequency of communication about sex) and adolescent and young women's sexual risk behaviors (Wave II and III inconsistent condom and contraceptive use and multiple partnerships) were examined. Further, this study examined whether these associations were mediated by socioemotional characteristics (sexual self-efficacy and risk-taking behaviors) or by sexual knowledge (sexual health knowledge and perceived barriers to contraception), respectively. Controlling for covariates, results indicated that in adolescence: 1) authoritarian and permissive parenting were associated with an increased risk of inconsistent condom use, though this association was attenuated by socioemotional and sexual knowledge risk characteristics, whereas infrequent, uncomfortable communication about sex was associated with a decreased likelihood of inconsistent use; and 2) authoritarian parenting was associated with an increased risk of inconsistent contraceptive use, also attenuated by the addition of socioemotional and sexual knowledge risk characteristics to analyses. Results further indicated that in adulthood: 3) parenting style was not associated with inconsistent condom or contraceptive use, but may have an indirect effect on inconsistent condom use, and that uncomfortable communication about sex was associated with a decreased likelihood of inconsistent contraceptive use; and 4) parenting style was not associated with lifetime sex partnerships, but authoritarian and neglectful parenting were associated with higher numbers of past year partners. These findings indicate that both parenting style and mother-daughter communication about sex may serve as predictors of girls' sexual risk-taking in adolescence and young adulthood and should be areas of focus when implementing sexual health prevention and intervention programs. In particular, this study provides support for utilizing parenting styles in understanding how mothers influence daughters' sexual risk-taking behaviors, however future research should examine the ways in which other variables mediate and moderate these effects.
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    Family Structure and Adolescent Well Being: The Mediating Effects of Family Cohesion and Parental Leadership
    (2010) Messina, Lauren A.; Leslie, Leigh; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Research comparing single-parent households to two-parent households suggests better outcomes for adolescents of two-parent households. Much of this research has narrowly focused on assessing the benefits of family structure. The current study explores the family processes of family cohesion and parental leadership as mediators of child well-being in single and two-parent families. Child well-being is assessed through using adolescent self reports of attachment style. Findings indicate no relationship between the proposed mediators, family structure, and adolescent secure attachment. Family structure did not have an impact on the potential mediating variables so mediation could not be established. The possible meaning of the lack of relationship in this sample is discussed.
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    SOCIO-CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WHITE FEMALE ADOLESCENTS
    (2009) Scott, Wakina L.; Koblinsky, Sally A.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Low physical activity is a problem for girls, and particularly African American female adolescents. Low physical activity has been associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cigarette smoking, premature mortality, and overweight and obesity. Families and communities play an important role in influencing adolescent health; however, few studies have examined how these factors influence adolescent physical activity outcomes. Adopting an ecological theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family factors (maternal control, maternal support, mother-child communication, and family cohesion), a community factor (religiosity, defined as attendance at religious services and religious youth activities) and physical activity among African American and White female adolescents. Wave I data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was analyzed. The sample includes 736 African American and 1,692 White female adolescents in grades seven through 12. Descriptive statistics were computed for all family and community measures. Logit models were used to evaluate family and community influences on female adolescents achieving five or more bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week (MVPA); and whether the relationship between maternal control, maternal support, mother-child communication, family cohesion, religiosity, and MVPA was moderated by race. Maternal control was a significant predictor of MVPA for the total sample and the White female sample, with increased levels of maternal control associated with increased adolescent physical activity. Mother-child communication and religiosity were significantly positively associated with MVPA for African American females only. Maternal support and family cohesion were not found to be significant predictors of adolescent girls' physical activity in any of the models. Race significantly influenced the strength of the relationship between mother-child communication and adolescent MVPA, and between religiosity and adolescent MVPA, with findings revealing a stronger relationship for African American female adolescents than for White female adolescents. Strategies to engage female adolescents in physical activity, particularly African American female adolescents, should focus on increasing mother-child communication and girls' involvement with religious institutions.