Understanding caregiver behaviors, adolescent distress, and conflict resolution in an economically disadvantaged sample

Abstract

Adolescents in economically disadvantaged families are at greater risk for various mental health difficulties and are less likely to receive mental health services. Thus, their caregivers are of the utmost importance to maintain their adaptive functioning. Conflict interactions can serve as a tool to understand how caregivers and adolescents may solve problems on a daily basis. This study aims to better understand the relationship between caregiver behaviors, adolescent distress, and conflict resolution during a structured conflict interaction. Transcripts of conflict interactions between 138 caregiver-adolescent dyads were coded from a larger study investigating attachment in caregivers and adolescents. Bivariate correlations were conducted to investigate associations between: 1) caregiver behaviors (positive support, negative support, avoidance) and adolescent distress (negative emotion, avoidance), 2) caregiver behaviors and conflict resolution, and 3) adolescent distress and conflict resolution. Caregiver positive support was associated with less adolescent negative emotion. Caregiver negative support was associated with more adolescent negative emotion. Caregiver avoidance was associated with both measures of adolescent distress. More conflict resolution was associated with more caregiver positive support, less caregiver negative behaviors (negative support, avoidance), and less adolescent distress (negative emotion, avoidance). Findings may help to identify clinical targets to improve interactions among economically disadvantaged caregiver-adolescent dyads.