Neighborhood and Housing Disorder, Parenting, and Youth Adjustment in Low‐Income Urban Families. Issue 3 (10th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jocson, Rosanne M.; McLoyd, Vonnie C.
• Is Part Of: American journal of community psychology. Volume 55:Issue 3/4(2015)
• Page Start: 279
• Page End: 291
• Publication Date: 2015-03-10
• Subjects: Neighborhood disorder -- Housing disorder -- Parenting -- Low-income families -- Family stress model; Community psychology -- Periodicals; Community mental health services -- Periodicals; Community psychiatry -- Periodicals; Community Mental Health Services -- Periodicals; Community Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 155.905
• DOI: 10.1007/s10464-015-9710-6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-0562

Abstract

Abstract: Using two waves of data, this study examined relations among neighborhood and housing disorder, parents' psychological distress, parenting behaviors, and subsequent youth adjustment in a low‐income, multiethnic sample of families with children aged 6–16. Results supported the hypothesized indirect relation between disorder and youth outcomes via parenting processes. Higher levels of neighborhood and housing disorder were associated with higher levels of parents' psychological distress, which was in turn related to more frequent use of harsh and inconsistent discipline strategies and lower parental warmth. More frequent use of harsh and inconsistent discipline was associated with higher levels of youth internalizing and externalizing behaviors 3 years later. Housing disorder contributed more strongly to parents' psychological distress than neighborhood disorder, whereas neighborhood disorder contributed more strongly to youth externalizing behaviors compared to housing disorder. Multiple‐group analyses showed that the patterns of relations were similar for younger and older children, and for girls and boys.