The prevalence of interparental conflict, discord, and violence in the American family and its profound costs to children and society are indisputable. Exposure to interparental discord and conflict is specifically associated with a wide range of child psychopathology. However, large scientific gaps exist in understanding how, why, and when children exposed to interparental difficulties develop disproportionate vulnerability to mental health problems, particularly during period of heightened vulnerability that is proposed to develop during early adolescence. By situating the emotional security theory (EST) within a developmental psychopathology framework, this study is designed to address these gaps by elucidating the developmental mechanisms, pathways, and conditions underlying associations between interparental conflict and child maladjustment across childhood and adolescence.
Our specific aims are to: (1) test a family-wide model of EST for early adolescence in which interparental conflict and accompanying parenting processes increase children's vulnerability to mental health problems by undermining their sense of security in interparental and parent-child relationships, (2) determine whether developmental timing and course of experiences, including child and adolescent developmental histories, alter or modify associations between family conflict, emotional security, and adolescent outcomes, (3) chart the sequence of biological, neuropsychological, and developmental processes that account for the heightened insecurity and mental health problems experienced by adolescents from high conflict homes, and (4) identify how family risk and protective factors may alter paths between interparental discord and child coping and maladjustment. This project will follow a sample of over 200 mothers, fathers, and 13-year-old children who previously participated in three waves of data collection during the early elementary school years into adolescence through the collection of three additional waves, each spaced one year apart. Utilizing a multi-method measurement battery, this prospective design will capture multiple levels of adolescent vulnerability (e.g., neuroendocrine, neuropsychological, stage-salient adaptation, psychopathology) and family adversity. Our long-term objective is to translate the scientific knowledge gained from this project into clinical treatment and social policy initiatives that are designed improve the welfare of vulnerable children and families.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH057318-10
Application #
7894727
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-RPHB-A (03))
Program Officer
Sarampote, Christopher S
Project Start
1999-09-25
Project End
2013-07-31
Budget Start
2010-08-01
Budget End
2013-07-31
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$571,178
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Davies, Patrick T; Martin, Meredith J; Cummings, E Mark (2018) Interparental conflict and children's social problems: Insecurity and friendship affiliation as cascading mediators. Dev Psychol 54:83-97
Davies, Patrick T; Parry, Lucia Q; Bascoe, Sonnette M et al. (2018) Children's Vulnerability to Interparental Conflict: The Protective Role of Sibling Relationship Quality. Child Dev :
Martin, Meredith J; Davies, Patrick T; Cummings, E Mark et al. (2017) The mediating roles of cortisol reactivity and executive functioning difficulties in the pathways between childhood histories of emotional insecurity and adolescent school problems. Dev Psychopathol 29:1483-1498
Koss, Kalsea J; Cummings, E Mark; Davies, Patrick T et al. (2017) Patterns of Adolescent Regulatory Responses During Family Conflict and Mental Health Trajectories. J Res Adolesc 27:229-245
Martin, Meredith J; Davies, Patrick T; Cummings, E Mark (2017) Distinguishing Attachment and Affiliation in Early Adolescents' Narrative Descriptions of Their Best Friendship. J Res Adolesc 27:644-660
Davies, Patrick T; Martin, Meredith J; Coe, Jesse L et al. (2016) Transactional cascades of destructive interparental conflict, children's emotional insecurity, and psychological problems across childhood and adolescence. Dev Psychopathol 28:653-71
Koss, Kalsea J; Cummings, E Mark; Davies, Patrick T et al. (2016) Harsh Parenting and Serotonin Transporter and BDNF Val66Met Polymorphisms as Predictors of Adolescent Depressive Symptoms. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol :1-14
Davies, Patrick T; Hentges, Rochelle F; Coe, Jesse L et al. (2016) The multiple faces of interparental conflict: Implications for cascades of children's insecurity and externalizing problems. J Abnorm Psychol 125:664-78
Cummings, E Mark; Koss, Kalsea J; Davies, Patrick T (2015) Prospective relations between family conflict and adolescent maladjustment: security in the family system as a mediating process. J Abnorm Child Psychol 43:503-15
Davies, Patrick T; Coe, Jesse L; Martin, Meredith J et al. (2015) The developmental costs and benefits of children's involvement in interparental conflict. Dev Psychol 51:1026-1047

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