The Role of Stress, Social Support, and Family Environment in Adolescent Mothers' Parenting

Abstract

This study assessed the role of stress, social support, and family environment on adolescent mothers'parenting behaviors. Seventy-five African American, mother-infant pairs participated in the study. Mothers were administered questionnaires and were each observed in a 10-minute teaching task with their babies. Findings revealed that the adolescent mother's own mother was the mostfrequent provider of support. The baby's fatherwas identified as the mostfrequent source of conflict. Mothers who identified more individuals as a source of conflict tended to have less positive parenting behaviors. Analyses revealed that child age and interpersonal conflict were significant predictors of maternal behavior In addition, social support moderated the effects of interpersonal conflict when conflicted networks were large. Parenting stress, per se, was not a significant predictor of maternal behavior.