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Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: Investigating a mediating depressive pathway.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rothenberg, WA; Hussong, AM; Chassin, L
Published in: Developmental psychology
February 2018

Emerging evidence suggests that family conflict shows continuity across generations and that intergenerational family conflict can be more intense and deleterious than conflict experienced in a single generation. However, few investigations have identified etiological mechanisms by which family conflict is perpetuated across generations. Addressing this limitation, we sampled 246 families from a multigenerational, high-risk, longitudinal study of parents (G1s) and their children (G2s), followed from adolescence to adulthood as well as the children (G3s) of G2 targets. Specifically, the current study examined whether G2s' depressive symptoms measured at multiple time points across development explained continuity in family conflict from 1 generation (G1-G2) to the next (G2-G3). Results revealed that after controlling for externalizing symptoms, depressive symptoms served as mediators of intergenerational family conflict in both men and women, but in different ways. Specifically, G2 women's young adulthood represented a period of vulnerability in which G2 depressive symptoms were especially likely to mediate intergenerational continuity in family conflict. Additionally, in both men and women, higher G1-G2 family conflict was associated with higher depressive symptoms that persisted from adolescence into young adulthood and then subsequently predicted the development of G2-G3 family conflict. Results did not support the hypothesis that G2 partner depressive symptoms moderated the relation between G2 depressive symptoms and G2-G3 family conflict. Implications of findings regarding the roles that G2 gender and G2 depressive symptoms play in the intergenerational transmission of family conflict are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Published In

Developmental psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-0599

ISSN

0012-1649

Publication Date

February 2018

Volume

54

Issue

2

Start / End Page

385 / 396

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Sex Factors
  • Self Report
  • Risk
  • Prospective Studies
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Intergenerational Relations
  • Humans
 

Citation

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Rothenberg, W. A., Hussong, A. M., & Chassin, L. (2018). Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: Investigating a mediating depressive pathway. Developmental Psychology, 54(2), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000419
Rothenberg, W Andrew, Andrea M. Hussong, and Laurie Chassin. “Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: Investigating a mediating depressive pathway.Developmental Psychology 54, no. 2 (February 2018): 385–96. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000419.
Rothenberg WA, Hussong AM, Chassin L. Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: Investigating a mediating depressive pathway. Developmental psychology. 2018 Feb;54(2):385–96.
Rothenberg, W. Andrew, et al. “Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: Investigating a mediating depressive pathway.Developmental Psychology, vol. 54, no. 2, Feb. 2018, pp. 385–96. Epmc, doi:10.1037/dev0000419.
Rothenberg WA, Hussong AM, Chassin L. Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: Investigating a mediating depressive pathway. Developmental psychology. 2018 Feb;54(2):385–396.

Published In

Developmental psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-0599

ISSN

0012-1649

Publication Date

February 2018

Volume

54

Issue

2

Start / End Page

385 / 396

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Sex Factors
  • Self Report
  • Risk
  • Prospective Studies
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Intergenerational Relations
  • Humans