Examining the role of parental factors on depression among Urban African American youth living in public housing |
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Authors: | Anthony T Estreet Dawn Thurman Sapphire Goodman M Taqi Tirmazi Takisha J Carter Von Nebbitt |
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Institution: | 1. School of Social Work, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA;2. Health &3. Addiction Research Training Lab, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA;4. George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
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Abstract: | This study examined the potential risk and protective parental factors associated with depression among African American youth living in public housing. Utilizing a community-based participatory research approach, 239 African-American youth surveys were collected during 2013–2014 in two urban public housing developments with low socioeconomic profiles. Over half (52.3%) of the sample was in high school and female (58%). 65.3% reported living with their mother while 38% reported being employed. Bivariate analysis revealed significant correlations between depression and maternal substance abuse, paternal monitoring, parent-child relationship, and family time. Results from the regression analyses indicated that higher depression scores were significantly associated with youth who reported poor parent-child relationships, low levels of paternal supervision and high levels of maternal drug abuse. These findings provide support for claims about the importance of parent-child relationship and paternal monitoring as a protective factor for depressive symptoms, particularly during adolescence. Moreover, findings suggest that interventions which are targeted towards urban African American youth should address parental factors as a pathway to decrease depression among this population. |
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Keywords: | Depression risk factors protective factors African American youth |
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