Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescents Boys in Low-income, Single-mother Families: A Program Evaluation

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Prevention and Interventions

Abstract

Approximately 21% of American boys live in single-mother households (US Census, 2019). Additionally, these boys tend to live in low-income families (Child Trend, 2019). When compared to boys from two-parent households, fatherless boys are at a much higher risk for psychological struggles (e.g., low self-esteem), social maladjustment (e.g., deprived family relationships and overall life quality), and externalization of problems (e.g., violence-engagement)(Murry & Lippold, 2018). This high risk for maladjustment in fatherless boys is associated with some risks, including paternal absence and fatherlessness-related factors (e.g., economic stress of single-mother household, parental conflicts) (Murry & Lippold, 2018). According to the family stress model (Masarik & Conger, 2017), low-income households increase fatherless boys’ risk for maladjustment since economic hardship leads to negative family environments (e.g., disrupted parenting), which is further detrimental to their psychosocial development. Despite being at risk for maladjustment, some fatherless boys in poverty are resilient through exposure to protectors (e.g., youth programs; Oman et al., 2005). To our knowledge, most youth programs recruited children from various contexts (e.g., both two-parent and single-parent families), while very few designed specific curriculums that aim to resolve psychosocial distress of children from single-parent families (e.g., Pedro-Carroll et al., 1986). More specific programs for this population and examination of such programs are required (Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2016). Accordingly, we evaluated a 5-month fatherless-boy-focused program (Power of Dad; POD) that aims to benefit members’ psychological health and social skills. Specifically, graduates from the program were compared with one control group (fatherless boys from the same community who did not attend the program) in pre-post differences of psychological (self-esteem) and social (mother attachment [indicated by communication and trust], life quality, and attitude toward physical dating violence) outcomes.

A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the POD program for 11- to 17-year-old boys. The sample consisted of 23 boys in the program and 23 boys in the control group. All the boys lived in low-income, inner-city, single-mother households.

Using GEE-based multiple regression models (see Note in Table 1), we found that the group×time-of-test interaction effects on self-esteem and attitude toward physical dating violence and pre-post differences for these outcomes were not significant, indicating no change in self-esteem and attitudes toward physical dating violence from the baseline to the end of the curriculum at either group (Table 1). By contrast, the group×time-of-test interaction effects on mother attachment and life quality were marginally significant (p = .100) and significant (p =.001), respectively. Furthermore, pre-post differences for these outcomes were not significant for the control group, while the differences were significantly positive for the POD group. Additionally, the effect sizes were moderate for mother attachment and life quality (Table 1). There were no changes in mother attachment or life quality from the baseline to the end of the curriculum for the control group, but the POD groups showed improvements in these outcomes. Together, the findings suggest that the POD program has positive effects on fatherless, low-income boys’ relationship with the mother and life quality.

Authors

• Tzu-Fen Chang, California State University, Bakersfield
  Presenting Author

• Dena Kniess, University of West Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Eric Buschlen, Central Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author