African American Children's Depressive Symptoms: the Prospective Effects of Neighborhood Disorder, Stressful Life Events, and Parenting

Overview

Journal Am J Community Psychol

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Health Services

Date 2007 Feb 13

PMID 17294122

Citations 30

Authors

Misaki N Natsuaki

Xiaojia Ge

Gene H Brody

Ronald L Simons

Frederick X Gibbons

Carolyn E Cutrona

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The prospective effects of observed neighborhood disorder, stressful life events, and parents' engagement in inductive reasoning on adolescents' depressive symptoms were examined using data collected from 777 African American families. Multilevel analyses revealed that stressful life events experienced at age 11 predicted depressive symptoms at age 13. Furthermore, a significant interaction between neighborhood disorder and parents' engagement in inductive reasoning was found, indicating that parental use of inductive reasoning was a protective factor for depressive symptoms particularly for youths living in highly disordered neighborhoods. The importance of examining correlates of depressive symptoms from a contextual framework, focusing on individuals, families, and neighborhood contexts, is emphasized.

Citing Articles

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Physical Disorder, Parenting Strategies, and Youths' Future Orientation.

Cui Z, Duprey E, Huffman L, Liu S, Smith E, Caughy M J Appl Dev Psychol. 2025; 96.

PMID: 39866553 PMC: 11759480. DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2024.101730.

Neighborhood Social Processes and Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms: The Intervening Role of Neighborhood Self-Efficacy.

Berg K J Community Psychol. 2025; 53(1):e23180.

PMID: 39829066 PMC: 11744059. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.23180.

The role of negative emotional reactivity and neighborhood factors in predicting marijuana use during early adolescence.

Tache R, Rabinowitz J, Gepty A, Lambert S, Reboussin B, Reynolds M J Adolesc. 2020; 85:32-40.

PMID: 33038686 PMC: 9109817. DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.09.002.

Understanding the role of service providers, land use, and resident characteristics on the occurrence of mental health crisis calls to the police.

White C, Goldberg V, Hibdon J, Weisburd D J Community Psychol. 2019; 47(8):1961-1982.

PMID: 31508829 PMC: 6791365. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22243.

The effect of minority status and social context on the development of depression and anxiety: a longitudinal study of Puerto Rican descent youth.

Alegria M, Shrout P, Canino G, Alvarez K, Wang Y, Bird H World Psychiatry. 2019; 18(3):298-307.

PMID: 31496076 PMC: 6732673. DOI: 10.1002/wps.20671.

References

Shaffer D, Fisher P, Cohen P, Piacentini J, Davies M, Conners C . The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Revised Version (DISC-R): I. Preparation, field testing, interrater reliability, and acceptability. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993; 32(3):643-50. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199305000-00023. View

McLoyd V . The impact of economic hardship on black families and children: psychological distress, parenting, and socioemotional development. Child Dev. 1990; 61(2):311-46. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1990.tb02781.x. View

Swearingen E, Cohen L . Measurement of adolescents' life events: the junior high life experiences survey. Am J Community Psychol. 1985; 13(1):69-85. DOI: 10.1007/BF00923260. View

Cutrona C, Russell D, Hessling R, Brown P, Murry V . Direct and moderating effects of community context on the psychological well-being of African American women. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2001; 79(6):1088-101. PMC: 1913215. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.79.6.1088. View

Compas B . Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence. Psychol Bull. 1987; 101(3):393-403. View

Ge X, Natsuaki M, Conger R . Trajectories of depressive symptoms and stressful life events among male and female adolescents in divorced and nondivorced families. Dev Psychopathol. 2006; 18(1):253-73. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579406060147. View

Sampson R, Raudenbush S, Earls F . Neighborhoods and violent crime: a multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science. 1997; 277(5328):918-24. DOI: 10.1126/science.277.5328.918. View

Ge X, Brody G, Conger R, Simons R, McBride Murry V . Contextual amplification of pubertal transition effects on deviant peer affiliation and externalizing behavior among African American children. Dev Psychol. 2002; 38(1):42-54. DOI: 10.1037//0012-1649.38.1.42. View

Boardman J, Saint Onge J . Neighborhoods and Adolescent Development. Child Youth Environ. 2011; 15(1):138-164. PMC: 3187660. View

10.

Cutrona C, Russell D, Brown P, Clark L, Hessling R, Gardner K . Neighborhood context, personality, and stressful life events as predictors of depression among African American women. J Abnorm Psychol. 2005; 114(1):3-15. PMC: 1913477. DOI: 10.1037/0021-843X.114.1.3. View

11.

Hammen C, Henry R, Daley S . Depression and sensitization to stressors among young women as a function of childhood adversity. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000; 68(5):782-7. View

12.

Roosa M, Jones S, Tein J, Cree W . Prevention science and neighborhood influences on low-income children's development: theoretical and methodological issues. Am J Community Psychol. 2003; 31(1-2):55-72. DOI: 10.1023/a:1023070519597. View

13.

Allison K, Burton L, Marshall S, Yarrington J, Kirsh L . Life experiences among urban adolescents: examining the role of context. Child Dev. 1999; 70(4):1017-29. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8624.00074. View

14.

Pearlin L . The sociological study of stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1989; 30(3):241-56. View

15.

McLoyd V . Socioeconomic disadvantage and child development. Am Psychol. 1998; 53(2):185-204. DOI: 10.1037//0003-066x.53.2.185. View

16.

Hammen C, Mayol A, DeMayo R, Marks T . Initial symptom levels and the life-event-depression relationship. J Abnorm Psychol. 1986; 95(2):114-22. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.95.2.114. View

17.

Aneshensel C, Sucoff C . The neighborhood context of adolescent mental health. J Health Soc Behav. 1996; 37(4):293-310. View

18.

Hankin B, Abramson L, Moffitt T, Silva P, McGee R, Angell K . Development of depression from preadolescence to young adulthood: emerging gender differences in a 10-year longitudinal study. J Abnorm Psychol. 1998; 107(1):128-40. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.107.1.128. View

19.

Wichstrom L . The emergence of gender difference in depressed mood during adolescence: the role of intensified gender socialization. Dev Psychol. 1999; 35(1):232-45. View

20.

Quinton D, Rutter M . Early hospital admissions and later disturbances of behaviour: an attempted replication of Douglas' findings. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1976; 18(4):447-59. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1976.tb03684.x. View