Defense Date
2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Heather A. Jones PhD
Second Advisor
Jamie Cage, PhD
Third Advisor
Rosalie Corona, PhD
Fourth Advisor
Kevin Allison, PhD
Fifth Advisor
Shawn Jones, PhD
Abstract
The study examines mechanisms of risk and resilience that influence the psychological well-being of Black youth. Previous literature has established a link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health outcomes in youth (Kerker et al., 2015; Thakur et al., 2020). A substantial amount of the ACEs literature solely focuses on risk factors (e.g., mental impairment, low SES, health risk behaviors) for poor outcomes associated with ACEs. Despite Black youth experiencing high rates of ACEs (Liu et al., 2019), the ACEs literature examining mechanisms of their resilience is sparse (Meeker et al., 2021). Given the state of the ACEs literature, the goal of the dissertation study was to investigate potential protective factors (i.e., parent-adolescent relationship) in the relationship between ACEs and internalizing mental health symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression) experienced by Black adolescents ages 12 to 17. The participants included parent-adolescent dyads (N=175). The study examined the relation between ACEs, youth depression, and youth anxiety symptoms. Parent and adolescent ACEs were positively associated with adolescent anxiety and depression. Specifically, adolescent girls displayed greater internalizing symptom severity associated with intergenerational ACE whereas, for adolescent boys, only parent history of ACEs was associated with internalizing symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed that parent-adolescent relationship quality did not display a buffering effect between parent ACEs and adolescent internalizing symptoms. However, parent reported parent-adolescent relationship quality displayed a moderating effect on the relationship between parental ACEs and adolescent girls’ anxiety symptoms. This study illuminated the intricacies of parent-adolescent dynamics, as they relate to the risk and resilience of Black youth. Multi-sectoral research, clinical interventions, programs, and policies should be utilized across levels of the social-ecological framework to highlight parent-adolescent dynamics in order to support a societal culture of bolstering Black youth.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-9-2024