This application seeks 5 years of continued funding for a study of approximately 710 African American children and their families. Our research to date has documented the ways in which ecological contexts such as family processes, peer influences, and community context combine with racial socialization and discrimination to serve as risk factors for depression and antisocial behavior among the target children. The children in the study are now 18-20 years of age and the next few years might be viewed as the most crucial period for our project. This is the peek age period for residential mobility, completing education, marriage, and unemployment. These role transitions represent important discontinuities that can serve as turning points in people's lives. For some, these transitions provide an opportunity to escape childhood risk factors and achieve improved mental health. For others, failure and frustration regarding these transitions may lead to an escalation of internalizing and externalizing problems. We propose to collect two more waves of data in order to investigate hypotheses pertaining to three issues. First, we will evaluate predictions regarding the manner in which ecological contexts combine with personal traits and schemas to influence adult role transitions. Most of our focus will be upon five role transitions: getting married/cohabitating, obtaining satisfactory employment, pursuing higher education, joining the military, and being incarcerated. Second, we will test hypotheses concerning the mechanisms whereby these role transitions reduce or amplify symptoms of depression and antisocial behavior. Finally, we will test explanations for the high incidence of antisocial behavior but lower than expected rates of depression seen among African Americans. This project should provide valuable information regarding the manner in which adult role transitions influence the incidence of antisocial behavior and depression. We have used past project findings to formulate preventative interventions. We hope that that the results obtained from this stage of the project will also serve this purpose.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH062669-09
Application #
7877969
Study Section
Psychosocial Development, Risk and Prevention Study Section (PDRP)
Program Officer
Zehr, Julia L
Project Start
2001-01-01
Project End
2012-06-30
Budget Start
2010-07-01
Budget End
2011-06-30
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$629,162
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Georgia
Department
Social Sciences
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
004315578
City
Athens
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30602
Landor, Antoinette; Barr, Ashley (2018) Politics of Respectability, Colorism, and the Terms of Social Exchange in Family Research. J Fam Theory Rev 10:330-347
Walker, Rheeda; Francis, David; Brody, Gene et al. (2017) A Longitudinal Study of Racial Discrimination and Risk for Death Ideation in African American Youth. Suicide Life Threat Behav 47:86-102
Evans, Sara Z; Simons, Leslie Gordon; Simons, Ronald L (2016) Factors that Influence Trajectories of Delinquency Throughout Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc 45:156-71
Kogan, Steven M; Cho, Junhan; Simons, Leslie Gordon et al. (2015) Pubertal timing and sexual risk behaviors among rural African American male youth: testing a model based on life history theory. Arch Sex Behav 44:609-18
Granberg, Ellen M; Simons, Leslie G; Simons, Ronald L (2015) The Role of Body Size in Mate Selection among African American Young Adults. Sex Roles 73:340-354
Barr, Ashley B; Simons, Ronald L; Simons, Leslie Gordon (2015) Nonmarital Relationships and Changing Perceptions of Marriage Among African American Young Adults. J Marriage Fam 77:1202-1216
Barr, Ashley Brooke; Simons, Ronald L (2015) Different dimensions, different mechanisms? Distinguishing relationship status and quality effects on desistance. J Fam Psychol 29:360-70
Simons, Ronald L; Burt, Callie H; Barr, Ashley B et al. (2014) INCORPORATING ROUTINE ACTIVITIES, ACTIVITY SPACES, AND SITUATIONAL DEFINITIONS INTO THE SOCIAL SCHEMATIC THEORY OF CRIME. Criminology 52:655-687
Simons, Ronald L; Barr, Ashley B (2014) SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES: COGNITIVE CHANGES PARTIALLY MEDIATE THE IMPACT OF ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS ON DESISTANCE FROM CRIME. Justice Q 31:793-821
Lei, Man-Kit; Simons, Ronald L; Simons, Leslie Gordon et al. (2014) Gender equality and violent behavior: how neighborhood gender equality influences the gender gap in violence. Violence Vict 29:89-108

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