Poster #38 - Child Social Support Moderates the Association between Caregiver Psychopathology and Child School Engagement

• In Event: Poster Session 10

Abstract

Exposure to adverse events increases the risk for individuals to develop mental health difficulties, including internalizing problems (Thoma et al., 2021). Additionally, research has demonstrated that intergenerational transmission of risk is evident; children of parents who have experienced adversity have more psychosocial functioning challenges than children of parents with low adversity (McFarlane et al., 2014). School engagement is a positive and malleable aspect of youth functioning that may be influenced by a variety of factors across the child’s social ecology (Fredricks et al., 2004, Garcia-Reid, 2007). The present study took a strengths-based approach to examine the direct and interactive relations between social-ecological factors (i.e., maternal depression, maternal anxiety, youth social support) and youth school engagement among families exposed to adversity. Participants were 117 youth aged 8-13 years (Mage=9.96, SD=1.40) of whom approximately half were female (51%) and all identified as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC). Youth’s female primary caregivers also participated in the study. Both primary caregivers and children completed self-report measures with trained study staff members assessing constructs such as maternal mental health, family adversity exposure, and youth functioning. Two hierarchical linear regression models (i.e., Anxiety Model, Depression Model) were conducted to examine how maternal mental health and child social support were related to youth school engagement. Block 1 of each model included maternal mental health (i.e., anxiety or depression), child social support, and covariates of maternal trauma history and maternal education; the second block added the interaction between maternal mental health and child social support. For the Anxiety Model, Block 1 was significant (F(4, 112)=9.00, p<.001, R2=.24). Notably, child social support (β=1.67, p<.001) was directly associated with child school engagement, while maternal anxiety was not associated with the outcome. Block 2 was also significant (F(5, 112)=8.229, p<.001, R2=.27). Here, the interaction term was significant (β=.06, p=.044); among youth with extremely low social support, higher maternal anxiety was related to lower school engagement. For the Depression Model, Block 1 was significant (F(4, 112)=9.53, p<.001, R2=.25). Here, more child social support (β=1.70, p<.001) was associated with more child school engagement, while maternal depression was not associated with the outcome. Block 2 was also significant (F(5, 111)=8.23, p<.001, R2=.27), however, the interaction term was not significantly associated with child school engagement. Results illustrate the importance of a contextual approach to exploring maternal and youth factors given their unique implications for child school engagement, as well as the utility of a strengths-based design. Previous deficit-based frameworks inevitably contribute to stigma for marginalized groups, but the present study illuminates the various strengths and points of resilience for adversity-exposed BIPOC families. Findings also inform intervention development by highlighting the importance of social support. Clinicians may consider behavioral activation strategies to promote client engagement with peers and other sources of support. Study findings should be considered in light of certain limitations, including the cross-sectional nature of data collection and the self-report methodology. Thus, future research would benefit from longitudinal examination of ecological factors related to school engagement and the use of multiple informants.

Authors

• Kari Nicole Thomsen, The University of Memphis
  Presenting Author

• Kathryn H Howell, University of Memphis

• Debra Bartelli