Risk and Resilience Among Single Mother Families: A Closer Look at Parenting and Adolescent Outcomes

African American adolescents from single-mother homes are at heightened risk for maladjustment and problem behaviors; however, many African American adolescents from single mother homes display positive youth development despite elevated risk. Using an ecological resiliency perspective, the current study examined protective factors associated with positive youth development among 193 African American single mother families. Cross-sectional findings revealed that higher levels of maternal behavioral control and lower levels of maternal psychological control were associated with fewer problem behaviors among youth, and that lower levels of maternal psychological control and higher levels of youth self-esteem were associated with fewer internalizing difficulties. Furthermore, gender moderated the relationship between parenting behaviors and problem behaviors among youth. Although the cross-sectional findings were not replicated in longitudinal analyses, positive ethnic identity at Time 1 was associated with fewer internalizing difficulties at Time 2. Implications of findings and directions for future research are discussed.Doctor of Philosoph

Maternal psychological control and youth HIV/AIDS risk behavior: a study of African American single mother families

The proposed study examined the relation between maternal psychological control, youth psychosocial adjustment and youth HIV/AIDS risk behavior (e.g., sexual intercourse and alcohol use) in a community sample of 194 African American single mother-youth (11-16 year old) dyads. As predicted, higher levels of maternal psychological control were associated with increased psychosocial adjustment problems, as well as an increased likelihood that youth would report engaging in sexual intercourse and alcohol use. Furthermore, youth externalizing problems were found to mediate the relation between psychological control and HIV/AIDS risk behavior; accordingly, greater psychological control was associated with greater externalizing problems which, in turn, was associated with increased odds that youth would engage in alcohol use and sexual intercourse. Findings are discussed with regard to their implications for family-based HIV/AIDS risk behavior prevention programs aimed at African American youth from single mother homes

A review of parenting and adolescent sexual behavior: The moderating role of gender

In spite of the established link between parenting and adolescent sexual risk behavior, less is known about the role of adolescent gender as a potential moderator of this association. This literature review integrates findings from 24 studies to examine gender as a moderator of the link between parenting and youth sexual risk behavior. Despite the wide variability in methodology across the reviewed studies, findings suggest that monitoring may be more protective against sexual risk behavior for boys than girls, whereas parental warmth and emotional connection may be an especially salient factor for girls. The results of this review support further research on gender as an important factor in better understanding the role of parenting in the development of adolescent sexual behavior. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential role of gender-specific, tailored family-focused prevention programs targeting sexual behavior

Supportive Non-Parental Adults and Adolescent Psychosocial Functioning: Using Social Support as a Theoretical Framework

Supportive Non-Parental Adults (SNPAs), or non-parental adults who provide social support to youth, are present in the lives of many adolescents; yet to date, a guiding framework for organizing the existing literature on the provision of support provided by multiple types of SNPAS, such as teachers, natural mentors, and extended family members, as well as to inform future research efforts, is lacking. The aim of the current paper is to utilize the well-established lens of social support to integrate, across this broad range of literatures, recent findings regarding associations between SNPAs and four indices of adolescent psychosocial adjustment: academic functioning, self-esteem, and behavioral and emotional problems. Beyond offering an integrative framework for understanding the link between SNPAs and adolescent functioning, the issues reviewed here have potentially far-reaching consequences for adolescents and their families, as well as the professionals working with adolescents and their families in the health care, school, and community settings

The Role of Implicit Measurement in the Assessment of Risky Behavior: A Pilot Study with African American Girls

With the aim of developing a novel strategy for identifying vulnerability for early sexual activity and adjustment problems, African American girls (n = 39) completed partially structured scenarios in which female characters of similar age faced circumstances characterized by varying levels of risk. Most girls indicated that they believed the characters would have sex, regardless of their own sexual history or the level of risk in the scenario. However, the combination of girls’ sexual history and girls’ predictions of characters’ behavior in the scenario provided more information regarding the girls at greatest risk for adjustment problems. Implicit techniques offer an additional strategy for identifying girls most vulnerable to adjustment difficulties in the context of early sexual activity

Does the quality of safetalk motivational interviewing counseling predict sexual behavior outcomes among people living with HIV?

Although past research has demonstrated a link between the quality of motivational interviewing (MI) counseling and client behavior change, this relationship has not been examined in the context of sexual risk behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS. We studied MI quality and unprotected anal/vaginal intercourse (UAVI) in the context of SafeTalk, an evidence-based secondary HIV prevention intervention

Harnessing innovative technologies to advance children's mental health: Behavioral parent training as an example

Disruptive behaviors of childhood are among the most common reasons for referral of children to mental health professionals. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the most efficacious intervention for these problem behaviors, yet BPT is substantially underutilized beyond university research and clinic settings. With the aim of addressing this research-to-practice gap, this article highlights the considerable, but largely unrealized, potential for technology to overcome the two most pressing challenges hindering the diffusion of BPT: (1). The dearth of BPT training and supervision opportunities for therapists who work with families of children with disruptive behaviors and; (2). The failure to engage and retain families in BPT services when services are available. To this end, this review presents a theoretical framework to guide technological innovations in BPT and highlights examples of how technology is currently being harnessed to overcome these challenges. This review also discusses recommendations for using technology as a delivery vehicle to further advance the field of BPT and the potential implications of technological innovations in BPT for other areas of children’s mental health are discussed