Investigating the Association between Sources of Parental Knowledge and Mexican Adolescents Psychological Adjustment

• In Event: Non-U.S., Majority World parenting

Abstract

Introduction
Parental knowledge (PK) refers to the amount of information parents know about their children and their social life (Racz & McMahon, 2011). PK could be gained through sources such as Parent Solicitation (PS; parents asking their adolescent questions) and Adolescent Disclosure (AD; adolescents willingly sharing information)(Dotterer & Day, 2018; Soenens et al., 2006). Studies with U.S adolescents have yielded mixed findings, where PS is linked with heightened levels of adolescent depressive symptoms (Blocklin et al., 2011), while other studies link PS with fewer adolescent depressive symptoms (Fernandez, Loukas, and Pasch, 2018). Moreover, research among U.S youth has shown that overall AD is associated with positive adolescent adjustment (Fernandez, Loukas, and Pasch, 2021). However, limited research has focused on understanding PS and AD among non-U.S based youth – such as Mexican adolescents. Given that Mexican adolescents experience high rates of depression and anxiety it is crucial to investigate if PS and AD are related to their psychological wellbeing (Fuentes & Palos, 2021; Delgado et al., 2021). Cultural-ecological theories provide insight on how culture influences an individual’s environments, behaviors, and beliefs (Bronfenbrenner,1997; Valez-Agosto, 2017. Thus, it is possible that PS and AD are perceived differently among Mexican adolescents due to the influence of culture. Using a sample of Mexican adolescents from Puebla, Mexico, this current study investigated the following questions: (1) Are PS and AD associated with adolescent symptoms of depression and anxiety? (2) Does gender moderate these associations?

Methods
Mexican adolescents (N=1,001, Mage= 13.85, SD = 1.090, 53% girls) participating in this study were part of a larger study investigating Mexican adolescent health (Espinosa-Hernandez, 2010). Adolescents who obtained parental consent completed a 90minute survey containing self-reported measures including Perceived Parent Solicitation Subscale (Stattin and Kerr, 2000), Child Disclosure Subscale (Stattin and Kerr, 2000), Depressive Symptoms Scale (CES-D), and Anxiety Symptoms Scale (STAIC-T).

Results
Results from hierarchical regressions indicated that gender had a moderating effect on the association between perceived father solicitation and anxiety symptoms (β = -.103, p= .043). Specifically, perceived father solicitation was only negatively associated with adolescent girls’ anxiety symptoms (β=-110, p=.014). Additional results revealed that perceived mother solicitation had a main effect on depressive symptoms (β = -.087, p=.02); perceived father solicitation had a main effect on depressive symptoms (β = -.109, p= .006); disclosure to mothers had a main effect on depressive symptoms (β = -.213, p= <.001) and anxiety symptoms (β = -.142, p=<.001); disclosure to fathers had a main effect on depressive symptoms (β = -.282, p= <.001) and anxiety symptoms (β = -.188, p= <.001).

Discussion
This study shows that PS and AD play a crucial role in Mexican adolescents’ psychological well-being. Specifically, when daughters perceived their fathers asking more questions they reported fewer anxiety symptoms, exemplifying a unique father-daughter relationship. Guided by cultural-ecological theories, perhaps cultural values (e.g., familism) are influencing how PS and AD are perceived by Mexican youth. Our findings can inform practitioners who work with Mexican adolescents, considering the high rates of depression and anxiety.

Authors

• Vanessa Esquivel, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Linda C. Halgunseth, Michigan State University

• Edna Brown, University of Connecticut

• Graciela Espinosa-Hernandez, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

• Jolaade Kalinowski, University Of Connecticut