Economic strain and adolescent functioning in at-risk families: The mediating roles of stressful parent/child relationships and stressful life events

Potential mediators of the relationship between parent perception of economic strain and adolescent self-perception of psychological functioning in adolescents were evaluated across two domains, internalizing problems and personal adjustment. Participants were adolescents selected for an artistic camp for at-risk youth and their families. Potential mediators included parent and adolescent reports of stressful parent-adolescent relationships, and parent and adolescent reports of stressful life events. In this model, parent report of stressful parent-adolescent relationships was a significant mediator. The total effects of the mediational model and other proposed mediators did not significantly mediate the relationship. These results provide additional support to the family stress model that family processes mediate the association between parent's perception of financial hardship and adolescent psychological functioning.