TY - JOUR
T1 - Protective Factors Buffer Life Stress and Behavioral Health Outcomes among High-Risk Youth
AU - Sharma, Shubam
AU - Mustanski, Brian
AU - Dick, Danielle
AU - Bolland, John
AU - Kertes, Darlene A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01MD011727 awarded to Darlene Kertes and grant R01DA025039 awarded to Brian Mustanski. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).
PY - 2019/8/15
Y1 - 2019/8/15
N2 - This study investigated internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and polydrug use among African-American youth residing in high-poverty neighborhoods, and tested the potential protective effects of religiosity, parental monitoring, and neighborhood collective efficacy on life stress and behavioral health outcomes (N = 576; 307 females; Mage = 16 years, SD = 1.44 years). A cumulative risk index reflected the combined effects of past year exposure to stressful life events, racial discrimination, and exposure to violence along with poor neighborhood ecology. Structural equation modeling revealed that cumulative risk significantly predicted internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and polydrug use. Interaction tests showed that the association of cumulative risk with internalizing problems was buffered by adolescent religiosity and neighborhood collective efficacy. The association of cumulative risk with externalizing problems was buffered by parental monitoring and collective efficacy. Adolescent sex further moderated these effects. The findings of the present study collectively highlight potential for protective factors to buffer effects of cumulative risk on behavioral health outcomes among youth residing in high-risk neighborhoods.
AB - This study investigated internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and polydrug use among African-American youth residing in high-poverty neighborhoods, and tested the potential protective effects of religiosity, parental monitoring, and neighborhood collective efficacy on life stress and behavioral health outcomes (N = 576; 307 females; Mage = 16 years, SD = 1.44 years). A cumulative risk index reflected the combined effects of past year exposure to stressful life events, racial discrimination, and exposure to violence along with poor neighborhood ecology. Structural equation modeling revealed that cumulative risk significantly predicted internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and polydrug use. Interaction tests showed that the association of cumulative risk with internalizing problems was buffered by adolescent religiosity and neighborhood collective efficacy. The association of cumulative risk with externalizing problems was buffered by parental monitoring and collective efficacy. Adolescent sex further moderated these effects. The findings of the present study collectively highlight potential for protective factors to buffer effects of cumulative risk on behavioral health outcomes among youth residing in high-risk neighborhoods.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Behavioral health
KW - Externalizing problems
KW - High-risk environments
KW - Internalizing problems
KW - Life stress
KW - Neighborhood factors
KW - Parenting
KW - Protective factors
KW - Substance use
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U2 - 10.1007/s10802-019-00515-8
DO - 10.1007/s10802-019-00515-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 30796646
AN - SCOPUS:85061982217
SN - 0091-0627
VL - 47
SP - 1289
EP - 1301
JO - Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
JF - Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
IS - 8
ER -
