Latino Adolescents' Adjustment, Maternal Depressive Symptoms, and the Mother-Adolescent Relationship*

Abstract: This study examined associations between adolescent behaviors, maternal depressive symptoms, and mother-adolescent relationships. Latina mothers and adolescents (111 dyads) completed questionnaires and participated in videotaped discussions. Mothers' depressive symptoms related to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing behaviors and family satisfaction. Observed maternal behavior during a conflict conversation also related to adolescent substance use. Family satisfaction partially mediated the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescents' substance use. Clinical implications for working with Latino adolescents are discussed. Key Words: adolescent adjustment, Latino families, maternal depression, parent-adolescent communication, substance use. Latinos are one of the fastest growing ethnic minority populations in the United States. Despite their increasing presence, relatively little is known regarding the mental health of Latino adolescents. We do know that Latino adolescents are at risk for a host of emotional, behavioral, and health-compromising problems (Gonzales, Knight, Morgan-Lopez, Saenz, & Sirolle, 2002). Latino adolescent adjustment can be influenced through various mechanisms including culture, family environment, and their own feelings about their families. Moreover, these factors can all interact to either protect or place the adolescent at greater risk. This study focuses on the association between maternal depressive symptoms, the mother-adolescent relationship, and adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors in Latino families. In this paper, the term "Latino" refers to a diverse group of individuals including people with ties to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Central and South American countries. Understanding the relation between maternal depressed mood, the mother-adolescent relationship, and adolescent adjustment has various implications for practitioners working with Latino families. This type of knowledge could inform the development of culturally sensitive interventions that target Latino adolescents and their families. The Family Context: Risk and Resilience Theorists and researchers have often emphasized the important role that family members play in the socialization and adjustment of children. Systems theory highlights the interdependence and reciprocal nature of family relationships. Mothers, fathers, and children influence one another both directly and indirectly (Minuchin, 2002). Given this interdependence in family relationships, conflict within the family or increased parental difficulties is likely to extend to other parts of the family system (Cox & Paley, 1997). Thus, it is likely that factors such as parental depressed mood and the quality of the parent-child relationship may affect child adjustment (Belsky & Fearon, 2004; Shaw, Criss, Schonberg, & Beck, 2004). A substantial body of research has identified parental depressed mood as a risk factor for internalizing and externalizing problems in European American children (Hammen & Brennan, 2003; Marmorstein & Iacono, 2004). Depressed women also have difficulty parenting and communicating with their children (Goodman & Gotlib, 2002; Hammen, 1991). It is through the disruption of parenting and family relationships that parental depressed mood may be particularly detrimental for children's development. McCarty and McMahon (2003) found that a problematic mother-child relationship mediated the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent externalizing behavior. Thus, maternal depressed mood can directly or indirectly influence adolescent outcome. However, research on resilience has shown that some children are at decreased risk for adjustment difficulties despite their exposure to stressful conditions (Garmezy & Rutter, 1985). For all children, the parent-child relationship may be an important predictor of positive outcomes, but this may be especially true in Latino families, which are often characterized as family oriented (Gonzales & Kim, 1997). …