Relation of maternal support and maternal stress to children's behavior problems in African American families

Chronic parenting stress adversely influences parents and children. Mothers reporting high stress levels are more likely than those with lower stress levels to lack warmth and responsiveness in parent-child interactions; use harsh and inconsistent discipline; hold unrealistic behavioral expectations of children; and describe children as difficult. Similarly, chronic parenting stress has been linked with negative child outcomes such as behavior problems. Few studies include school-aged children and African American families; or examine social support as a potential protective factor that may buffer the impact of parenting stress on child behavior problems. African American families disproportionately face stressors such as poverty and unemployment; yet some parents may function adequately with the support of extended family/kin. Participants were 193 African American females 18 years or older who were primary caregivers of a child age 6 to 12 years. Mothers were administered measures of parenting stress, social support, and child behavior problems. Hierarchical linear regression analyses with interaction effects were used to test hypothesized models examining main effects and social support as a moderator of maternal stress. Results indicated maternal-child dysfunctional interaction was significantly associated with children's total, internalizing, and externalizing behavior problems. Moreover, the relationship between maternal-child dysfunctional interaction and children's internalizing behavior problems was attenuated at high levels of formal social support. For grandmothers, informal social support was detrimental to the relationship between maternal-child dysfunctional interaction and children's internalizing behavior problems. Findings suggested differential intervention strategies are needed for mothers and grandmothers. Implications for policy, research, and culturally-appropriate interventions are discussed.