Linking Stress, Family Support, and Racial Health Disparities in Multiracial Families: A Mixed-Methods Study

• In Event: Research on Family Stressors

Abstract

Multiracial (i.e., different racial backgrounds) families have increased dramatically in the U.S.; from approximately 1% in 1970 to 10% in 2015 and are projected to triple by 2060 (Bialik, 2017). Early parenthood is a time when multiracial couples may experience heightened levels of stress as they merge values, behaviors, and beliefs of two unique racial groups – a process potentially more taxing for them compared to their monoracial (i.e., same-race) counterparts. Multiracial parents may also experience greater stress due to perceived discrimination and lower social supports compared to monoracial couples. This study examined family support as (1) a buffering factor mitigating the strain of being in a multiracial couple on stress, and (2) a mediator, such that being in a multiracial couple predicts less support leading to greater stress. A second component of this study will include qualitative interviews to better understand the quantitative results regarding factors that contribute to stress in multiracial couples.
Data come from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Wave IV; Harris, 2009). Three indices of stress were utilized: parenting stress (four items from the Parenting Stress Index; Abidin & Abidin, 1990), general stress (four items from the Perceived Stress Scale; Cohen et al., 1983), and allostatic load (created by dichotomizing and summing biological markers of stress (score ranging 0 – 13). Family support included indices of both instrumental (3 items) and emotional support (8 items). Instrumental support involves financial support or other tangible resources; and emotional support involves feelings of trust and empathy. There is mixed evidence on which kind of support may alleviate stress (Morelli et al., 2015).
Initial analyses replicated past research revealing that mothers in multiracial dyads had higher perceived and physiological stress compared to their monoracial counterparts. Emotional support was more protective for general stress for mothers in multiracial dyads compared to their monoracial counterparts (B=-0.11,SE=0.05,p=.04), whereas emotional support was more protective for fathers in monoracial, compared to multiracial, dyads (B=0.18,SE=0.07,p=.01). Financial support, however, was related to greater parenting stress for mothers in monoracial dyads compared to their multiracial counterparts (B=-0.06,SE=0.03,p=.04). See figures 1 and 2.
Second, we tested whether family support mediated the relationship between family racial composition and stress. Mothers and fathers in multiracial families had less emotional family support than monoracial families (Mothers: B=-0.08,SE=0.02,p<.001; Fathers: B=-0.05,SE=0.02,p=.04) which led to greater stress (Mothers: Bparenting=-0.09,SE=0.02,p<.001; Bgeneral=-0.19,SE=0.02,p<.001; Fathers: Bgeneral=-0.17,SE=0.02,p<.001). In contrast, mothers in multiracial dyads had more financial family support (B=0.05,SE=0.02,p=.02) which led to greater stress (Bgeneral=0.05,SE=0.02,p=.03; Bal=0.09,SE=0.02,p<.001).
This study provides evidence for theories that suggest multiracial families experience higher levels of stress than monoracial families, while also contributing a better understanding of the ways different types of family support are related to families’ stress. Based on our findings, emotional support not only buffered stress for multiracial families, but being in a multiracial couple predicted less support and ultimately more stress. In contrast, when financial support was greater so to was stress, suggesting that turning to family for financial support comes with unique problems.

Authors

• Christina Albina Rowley, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Presenting Author

• Maureen A Perry-Jenkins, University of Massachusetts Amherst