Poster #100 - Resilience through Economic Pressure: A Systematic Twenty-Five Year Review of the Family Stress Model

• In Event: 1-169 - Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Section - Family Context & Processes

Integrative Statement

Introduction: Economic pressure is a key issue that many families face, and substantial research has shown an association between economic pressure and family outcomes. One of the explanations for these processes and their effect on families is the Family Stress Model (FSM), which explains the disruption of everyday family processes due to economic pressure, and how that disruption leads to negative outcomes in families (Conger, Conger, & Martin, 2010). The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize empirical research on the FSM over the past twenty-five years. This review will identify themes, methodological approaches, and analytic procedures that have been used to measure the FSM, specifically highlighting the role of moderating pathways that may increase family resiliency to economic pressure.
Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify research articles about the FSM. Electronic databases were searched using various terms and combinations including “family stress model,” “poverty related stress model,” “stress,” and “young childhood.” Abstracts were screened for peer-reviewed studies from the years 1992-2017, peer-reviewed journal articles that tested aspects of the FSM, and peer-reviewed journal articles that incorporated a quantitative and/or mixed analytic method and the systematic review followed the guidelines for the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Model (Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009) (See Figure 1). A novel rating system unique to the FSM was created in order to rate the following components: measurement of economic hardship and economic pressure, measurement of study variables, measurement of moderation, and research design.
Results: Results indicate that empirical research on the FSM (see Figure 2) has evolved over time and continues to be relevant for understanding poverty and stress related issues in families. The themes indicated in this review highlight the following: (1) measurement of the model has changed over the last twenty-five years as statistical procedures have advanced; (2) moderation is better able to understand protective factors against the negative consequences of economic hardship and economic pressure; and (3) statistical group comparisons provide greater insight into mediating pathways in a variety of diverse populations.
Conclusions: Over the last twenty-five years, numerous studies have tested the FSM and there is continued support for the mediational pathways (Masarik and Conger, 2017). The FSM continues to be a key theoretical model for understanding the impact of economic and stress related issues to family processes. Empirical research over the past ten years has been particularly meaningful in understanding the role of moderating factors that buffer families in economic hardship. Examples of buffering factors include supportive parenting (Lee, Wickrama, & Simons, 2013), parental positivity (Neppl, Jeon, Schofield, & Donnellan, 2015), effective problem solving (Masarik et al., 2016), and culturally specific values (Martin, Conger, & Robins, 2018). Future studies can build upon this review to test mediating and moderating pathways in the model. Further, continued research explicating the moderating factors that buffer relationships under economic pressure will aid both researchers and practitioners in helping families develop resiliency in the face of economic challenges.

Authors

• Jennifer Rose, Texas Tech University
  Presenting Author

• Monica J. Martin, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Melissa A. Barnett, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ann Mastergeorge, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author