Early Family Conflict and Behavioral Outcomes in Children from Low-Income Families: The Indirect Effects of Parental Depression and Parenting Practices

Abstract

Family conflict has been demonstrated as a risk factor impacting children's mental health and behaviors; however, the mechanisms underlying these connections are unclear. Focusing on 1622 children from low-income families (51.4% boys, 38.3% White, 35.5% Hispanic/Latino, 22.1% African American, 4.1% other), the current study examines the role that maternal depression and parenting behaviors play in the associations between family conflict in early childhood and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors in early adolescence. Family conflict was positively associated with maternal depression at age 3 and detached parenting at age 5; however, maternal depression was linked to increased child internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and detached parenting was associated with decreased behavioral outcomes. Maternal depression at age 3 and intrusive parenting at age 5 successively mediated the association between family conflict and child externalizing. Multi-group analysis indicated different indirect paths of parenting behaviors in boys and girls. Specifically, in boys, the indirect effect of detached parenting on the links between family conflict and externalizing and internalizing behaviors was sustained. In girls, maternal depression and intrusive parenting sequentially explained the link between family conflict and externalizing behaviors. The findings highlighted the importance of addressing family well-being and parenting support, especially for children from low-income families.

Keywords: detached parenting; externalizing; family conflict; internalizing; intrusive parenting.

Figure 1

The conceptual model for the direct and indirect relations between early childhood family conflict and children’s behavioral outcomes at age 11.

Figure 2

Direct and indirect paths between early family conflict and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Standardized coefficients are reported in the model. The model controlled for EHS program, program site, child gender, child age, and race/ethnicity. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

Figure 3

Comparisons of the model path coefficients in boys (a) and girls (b) groups. Standardized coefficients are reported in the models. Both models controlled for EHS program, program site, and child race/ethnicity. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.