Maternal Consulting and Adolescents' Socio-Emotional Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Adolescents' Loneliness

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Changes in adolescents’ expectations of social experiences heightens perceptions of social isolation (Laursen & Hartle, 2013). Greater time spent with family members instead of friends may exacerbate feelings of loneliness (Weeks & Asher, 2012), which increases the risk for internalizing symptoms (Nangle et al., 2003) and peer victimization (Acquah et al., 2016). Thus, loneliness may function as an outcome of relationships and as a risk factor. Despite the importance of peer relationships, parental influences remain salient for adolescents (Gaertner et al., 2010). There is growing interest in consulting as a parental influence on peer relationships (Ladd & Kochenderfer-Ladd, 2019). Maternal consulting involves providing explicit advice or coaching to help adolescents solve peer-related problems. Two research questions were of interest. First, what is the relationship between maternal consulting (adolescents’ perceptions and observer assessment) about peer relationships and adolescents’ depression, anxiety, and peer victimization? Second, does loneliness mediate the relationship between maternal consulting and depression, anxiety, and peer victimization?
An ethnically diverse sample of 70 mothers and early adolescents (Mage=12.39; girls=51%, boys=49%) participated. Questionnaires were completed and dyads discussed hypothetical peer-related issues in a video-recorded interaction task. Maternal consulting was assessed using adolescents’ reports of consulting (Mounts, 2004; α=.89) and observations of maternal consulting (Cohen’s Kappa=.82). In addition, adolescents reported on loneliness (Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale, Asher & Wheeler, 1985; α=.91); depression (Children’s Depressive Inventory-2 Self-Report-Short, Kovacs, 2011; α=.82); anxiety (Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, Spence et al., 2003; α=.93), and victimization (Children’s Social Experiences Questionnaire, Cullerton-Sen & Crick, 2005; α=.84).
Mediation models were examined using PROCESS Model 4 (Hayes, 2018). Gender was included as a covariate in all analyses. Lower levels of adolescents’ reports of consulting were associated with higher levels of depression (c’=-1.04, p=.005), but not with anxiety and victimization (Table 1). Loneliness mediated the relationship between adolescents’ reports of consulting and the outcome variables. Higher levels of consulting were associated with lower levels of depression (ab=-.29, CI95=[-.56, -.04]), anxiety (ab=-3.79, CI95=[-7.69, -1.25]), and victimization (ab=-.11, CI95=[-.33, -.01]), through loneliness (Figure 1). Adolescents’ perceptions of consulting include more opportunities for mothers to provide advice and impart skills for successful peer relationships. When relationship quality improves and adolescents feel more connected to their peers, this reduces feelings of loneliness and lowers the subsequent risk for internalizing symptoms to develop and victimization to occur.
Higher levels of observers’ reports of consulting were not associated with higher levels of anxiety and victimization, and lower levels of depression (Table 1). Similar to adolescents’ reports of consulting, loneliness mediated the relationship between observers’ reports of consulting and the outcome variables. Higher levels of consulting were associated with higher levels of depression (ab=.02, CI95=[.00, .05]), anxiety (ab=.19, CI95=[.02, .42]), and victimization (ab=.01, CI95=[.00, .03]), through loneliness (Figure 1). Observers’ perceptions only assess consulting portrayed during specific situations, concurrently, and may reflect the observers’ limited access to information relevant to adolescents’ social behavior. Perhaps, adolescents’ reports of consulting may suggest that when provided more frequently across several situations, consulting may alleviate loneliness.

Authors

• Natalie Low, National University of Singapore
  Presenting Author

• Nina S. Mounts, Northern Illinois University
  Non-Presenting Author