Community Context of Social Resources and Adolescent Mental Health

Authors: K. A. S. Wickrama¹; Chalandra M. Bryant²

Source: Journal of Marriage and Family, Volume 65, Number 4, November 2003 , pp. 850-866(17)

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Abstract:

This study investigated cross-level mediational and moderational community and family influences on adolescent depressive symptoms. Using multilevel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we predicted that structural community characteristics such as community poverty and ethnic heterogeneity would influence community social resources, which in turn would influence adolescent depressive symptoms. We further predicted that community social resources would influence adolescent depressive symptoms through family social resources. Findings also suggested that the influence of the parent-child relationship on adolescent depressive symptoms is weaker in more adverse communities than in less adverse communities. The findings underscore the importance of placing family process models within the community context when adolescent outcomes are investigated.

Keywords: adolescent mental health; community context; social resources

Document Type: Regular article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00850.x

Affiliations: 1: Institute for Social and Behavioral Research, 2625 North Loop Drive, Suite 500, Ames, IA 50010-8296 ( )., Email: s2kas@iastate.edu 2: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 110 Henderson Building South, University Park, PA 16802-6504

Publication date: 2003-11-01