Associations Between Parenting, Internalizing Symptoms, and Help-Seeking Intentions in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Adolescents

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health problems, namely depression and anxiety, affect approximately 16.5% of U.S. adolescents (Whitney & Peterson, 2019). The family system is an important contributor to the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents and may influence treatment seeking behaviors. For example, lack of parental warmth and greater control are associated with increased mental health problems among non-Hispanic youth (Wood et al., 2003). Less is known about these associations among Hispanic adolescents. In one study, Varela and colleagues (2009) found high maternal control and lower father acceptance was associated with increased anxiety symptoms. The purpose of the current study was to extend this work by examining whether family factors (e.g., parenting and family functioning) are related to depressive and anxiety symptoms and help seeking intentions among Hispanic adolescents.
Methods: Eighty-one adolescents participated in the current study (23% Hispanic). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED). Children completed the Child Report of Parenting Behavior Inventory (CRPBI) and completed a measure of family functioning. Help seeking intentions were assessed using the Attitudes Toward Seeking Help Questionnaire. Parents completed measures of child mental health, parenting, family functioning, acculturation, and attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Due to COVID-19, data is currently being entered and will be analyzed for the final presentation.
Preliminary Results: No significant associations between mental health, parenting, family functioning, and help seeking intentions were found for non-Hispanic adolescents. For Hispanic youth, however, father warmth and acceptance was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms (r = -.60, p < .05); however, no significant associations were found for maternal warmth and acceptance. Higher levels of family cohesion were associated with more positive attitudes toward seeking mental health treatments (r = .52, p < .05).
Proposed Analyses: Further analyses will be conducted once data has been entered and cleaned. The associations between parent report data and adolescent mental health will be examined using regression analyses with ethnicity as a moderator. Further, we plan to examine whether discrepancies in adolescent-parent perceptions of parenting and family functioning are related to adolescent mental health outcomes.
Implications: Hispanic adolescents report increased mental health symptoms and may face more barriers to accessing services. This study found that fathers play a critical role as adolescents with lower depressive symptoms reported higher levels of paternal warmth and acceptance. In many Hispanic families, fathers engage in strict and controlling behaviors consistent with cultural norms. However, encouraging fathers into more open and positive interactions may allow adolescents to feel more comfortable sharing emotional experiences, perhaps lessening their likelihood of developing depression. At the family level, adolescents growing up in families characterized by togetherness and warmth were more likely to have positive attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Hispanic cultural values emphasize a strong family orientation; thus, adolescents may be more comfortable seeking out mental health services when they feel their family would support them.

Authors

• Carlos Daniel Rebollar, Texas Christian University
  Presenting Author

• Sally Ho, Texas Christian University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Connie Deighton, Texas Christian University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chrystyna D Kouros, Southern Methodist University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Naomi Ekas, Texas Christian University
  Non-Presenting Author