NCJ Number
229534
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2010 Pages: 12-22
Date Published
January 2010
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined parenting as a mediator of the relation between increasing interparental conflict (IPC) and change in childhood depression.
Abstract
Research on the mechanisms by which interparental conflict (IPC) affects child depression suggests that both parenting and children's conflict appraisals play important roles, but few studies have explored the role of general cognitive style or included both parenting and cognitions in the same design. Moreover, the effects of IPC on minority children are not well understood. In this longitudinal study, parenting was examined as a mediator of the relation between increasing IPC and change in depression. General cognitive style was included as a moderator. The combined influence of parenting and cognitions was also explored. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 88 fifth and sixth graders from 2 urban schools reported their cognitive style, depressive symptoms, and perceptions of conflict and parenting at two time points separated by 1 year. Parental warmth/rejection mediated the relation between IPC and depression, and general cognitive style acted as a moderator. Parenting, cognitive style, and IPC did not significantly interact to predict change in depression over time. Findings indicate that both parenting and children's general cognitive style play a role in understanding the impact of increasing IPC on children's well-being. Tables and references (Published Abstract)