Caregiver Conflict as a Mediator of Caregiver Depression and Ineffective Parenting in African-American Families

• In Event: 220 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 06. Family Conflict and Family Violence

Abstract

Parental depression has been well established as a risk factor for couple conflict as well as ineffective parenting and negative parent-child interactions (Lovejoy et al., 2000; McMakin et al., 2011; Papp, Goeke-Morey, & Cummings). Consistent with the Spill-Over Hypothesis (Repetti, 1987) ,research has demonstrated that the impact of caregiver depression on parenting practices is indirect via increased conflict between parenting couples (e.g. Conger et al., 1993; Conger et al., 2002).. However, few studies take into account the behaviors of both caregivers in exploring these relationships. Thus, the goal of the current study is to employ an Actor-Partner Mediator Model (APMeM; see Bodenmann, Ledermann, & Bradbury, 2007) to examine the complex relationship among caregiver depression, caregiver conflict, and ineffective, hostile parenting taking into account the symptoms and behaviors of both caregivers. Using a sample of 284 African-American romantic partners caring for at least one child, we find evidence of both partner and actor effects for the relationship between depression and caregiver hostility toward his or her partner. Furthermore, our results show that both actor and partner effects from depression to parenting are mediating by the hostility of the primary caregiver toward the secondary caregiver. This study highlights the importance in considering the behaviors of both caregivers in determining the effects of depression and couple conflict on parenting.

Authors

• Tara Elizabeth Sutton, University of Georgia

• Leslie Gordon Simons, University of Georgia