A Longitudinal Family-Level Model of Arab Muslim Adolescent Behavior Problems

    Authors

    K. J. Aroian; T. N. Templin; E. E. Hough; V. Ramaswamy;A. Katz

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Youth Adolesc.

    Keywords

    Arab Muslim adolescents; Arab Muslim mothers; Stress and coping; Adolescent behavior problems; Immigrant mothers; PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT; MOROCCAN IMMIGRANT ADOLESCENTS; PSYCHOMETRIC; EVALUATION; MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALE; MOOD STATES; STRESS; ADJUSTMENT; DEPRESSION; CHILDHOOD; SYMPTOMS; Psychology, Developmental

    Abstract

    Arab-American Muslim adolescents in immigrant families face a number of challenges that put them at risk for behavior problems. This study of Arab-American Muslim Adolescents and their relatively recent immigrant mothers tested a longitudinal family-level model of adolescent behavior problems. Mother-adolescent dyads (N = 530) completed measures of maternal and adolescent stressors, active and avoidance coping, and social support; maternal distress; quality of mother-child relationship; and adolescent behavior problems at Time 1 and approximately 18 months later. The youth were between the ages of 11 and 15 years at Time 1 and 48.7% were girls. Longitudinal analyses were conducted using latent change modeling with change scores from Time 1 and Time 2 data. Social support facilitated active coping for both mothers and adolescents. Although maternal avoidance coping mediated maternal stressors and its effect on maternal distress, maternal stressors and maternal distress were not related to adolescent behavior problems. The only factor mitigating the effects of adolescent stressors on adolescent behavior problems was the quality of the mother-child relationship. These findings suggest that adolescents are insulated from maternal stress and distress as long as there is a good mother-child relationship.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Youth and Adolescence

    Volume

    40

    Issue/Number

    8

    Publication Date

    1-1-2011

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    996

    Last Page

    1011

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000292569400006

    ISSN

    0047-2891

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