Edna Brown

Locus of control as a mediator of the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction: Age, race, and gender differences

Research indicates that religiosity is associated with better psychological health. However, some studies have shown negative effects of religiosity on psychological health. It was hypothesized that these contradictory findings may be due to the fact that different loci of control beliefs affect psychological health differently. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to verify a model in which locus of control mediates the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction, and (2) to examine whether this model varies by age, gender, and race. Using Structural Equation Modelling to analyze Wave 1 of the Americans’ Changing Lives dataset, this study confirms the mediation model and suggests that the relationship between religiosity and locus of control varies by gender and age.

Developmental Trajectories of Marital Happiness Over 16 Years

Longitudinal studies often conclude that marital happiness declines over time. The present study examined marital happiness trajectories over the first 16 years of marriage and implications of trajectories for divorce. Participants included 373 (174 White, 199 Black) couples who first participated in 1986 and were re-interviewed years 2, 3, 4, 7, and 16. Analyses revealed that husbands and wives fit into distinct marital happiness trajectory groups characterized with either high stable marital happiness over time or moderate to low happiness that declined over time. Trajectories significantly predicted divorce. Findings support the enduring dynamics and gradual disillusionment models of marital development.

Religiosity as a moderator of family conflict and depressive symptoms among African American and white young grandmothers

ABSTRACT This study examined the association between religiosity, conflict in the mother-daughter relationship, and depressive symptoms among 83 African American and white grandmothers. Interviews were conducted during the early stages of adaptation to grandparenthood due to the birth of a baby to a teenage daughter. The results of this study suggest that religiosity is associated with less depressive symptoms. In addition, religiosity moderates the relationship between conflict and depressive symptoms for African American grandmothers. Specifically, highly religious African American grandmothers experiencing low conflict with their daughters reported lower depressive symptoms than those who were less religious. These findings were not evident for white grandmothers. The implications of these findings for grandmothers in families with teenage mothers are discussed within the context of race, religiosity, family relationships, and psychological well-being.

Personal Mastery and Psychological Well-Being Among Young Grandmothers

This study examined the association between relationship quality, personal mastery, and psychological well-being among 83 young Black and White American grandmothers in families with teenage mothers. Interviews were conducted during the early stages of adaptation to grandparenthood due to the birth of a baby to a teenage daughter. Findings indicated that the effects of the mother–daughter relationship are mediated through mastery. When grandmothers feel a sense of mastery, the conflict with the teenage mother is not as detrimental to their psychological health. Findings are discussed in the context of developing supportive services for grandmothers in families with teenage mothers.

DSM-IV 12-month and lifetime major depressive disorder and romantic relationships among African Americans

BACKGROUND This brief report examines the association between marital and relationship status and 12-month and lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) among African Americans. Previous work has found that adults with major depressive disorder are less likely to be married or in a cohabiting relationship. This report extends previous research by investigating whether unmarried, non-cohabiting African Americans with depression are also less likely to be involved in a romantic relationship. METHODS Data are from the African American sub-sample (n=3570) of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL; 2001-2003). The DSM-IV World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess 12-month and lifetime MDD. Weighted logistic regression was used. RESULTS The findings indicate that for both 12-month and lifetime major depressive disorder, African Americans who are depressed are not only less likely to be married; they are also significantly less likely to be involved in a romantic relationship. This is particularly the case for 12-month depression. LIMITATIONS Due to limitations in the number of cohabiting respondents, currently married and cohabiting respondents were combined into a single category. CONCLUSION The findings of this brief report highlight the importance of changes in marital and relationship circumstances of the U.S. population for research and practice on depression and other psychiatric disorders. Our study provides evidence for a more nuanced approach in which examining marital and romantic relationship status together promotes a better understanding of the impact of major depression on romantic unions.

Social Support Sources, Types, and Generativity: A Focus Group Study of Cancer Survivors and Their Caregivers

Various research studies have identified the sources and types of support that people with cancer receive; however, few have focused on identifying the specific characteristics of emotional, instrumental, and informational support. In this study, focus groups consisting of Gilda’s Club members explored the types of support that people with cancer and their caregivers experienced and valued. Results showed that although men and women with cancer and caregivers identify similar sources of support, they experience different types of support. Results also indicated a desire among participants to help and support others, a concept referred to as generativity. Implications for social workers and health care providers are explored.

Marital Dissolution and Psychological Well-Being: Race and Gender Differences in the Moderating Role of Marital Relationship Quality

This study examined whether the impact of divorce on psychological well-being varies depending on marital quality in the first year of marriage. Participants included Black and White American couples who completed interviews in year 1 of their marriages and again 16 years later after 46% had divorced (N = 517). Linear regression models were estimated separately for Black and White men and Black and White women. Results revealed that that the link between divorce status, marital quality (positive or negative) and psychological well being depended on whether one was a) male or female, and b) Black or White American.

Attachment Parenting: A Media Activity for Developmental Psychology Research Methods

The purpose of the activity described here is help students apply course concepts to a ‘real-world’ issue, understand how to develop a specific research study from a general topic, and become more critical consumers of information. The activity required students to critically analyse claims about a new method of parenting presented in a TV news magazine show. Quantitative and qualitative data gathered from students indicate that they found the exercises interesting and useful in helping them both understand and apply concepts they learned in their developmental psychology research methods course.

IS REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION ENOUGH? AN EXPLORATION OF WORKFORCE PERSPECTIVES: Is Reflective Supervision Enough?

Infant mental health practice requires the performance of intense emotional labor. Professionals comprising the infant mental health (IMH) field are largely women at seminal points in adult life-span development. The purpose of this article is to explore the day-to-day challenges faced by clinical infant mental health professionals and their perspectives on the supports available for effective job performance. We review reflective supervision as a long-cherished professional support in the IMH field designed to hold the practitioners fears, worries, and ambivalence, so that she may return to the work fortified to remain in therapeutic alliance with families despite unsolvable problems and an unknowable future (Weatherston, D., 2009). Yet, we propose that reflective supervision alone may not be an adequate protective measure for a workforce performing intensive emotional labor for extended periods and therefore at potentially increased risk for burnout and high turnover (Hochschild, A.R. ; C. Maslach, , C.M. Brotheridge & A.A. Grandey, 2009; A.S. Wharton, ). We suggest that structural factors concerning organizational culture, flexibility in scheduling, and professional growth and versatility bear deeper examination for their merits in supporting the IMH workforce. Finally, we contend that the overrepresentation of women in practitioner positions in IMH leaves an empirical gap where little is known about the experience of male IMH practitioners and the ramifications of their performance of emotional labor.

“I Love You, Not Your Friends”: Links between partners’ early disapproval of friends and divorce across 16 years

Research on the merging of social networks among married couples tends to focus on the benefits of increased social capital, with the acknowledgment of potential stressors being limited primarily to in-law relationships. The purpose of the present study was to examine both positive (i.e., shared friend support) and negative (i.e., disapproval and interference of partner’s friends) aspects of friend ties on divorce across 16 years. Using a sample of 355 Black and White couples from the Early Years of Marriage project, we examined these associations with a Cox proportional hazard regression, controlling for a number of demographic and relational factors. Our findings indicate that (1) the negative aspects of couples’ friend ties are more powerful predictors of divorce than positive aspects; (2) at least early in marriage, husbands’ negative perceptions of wives’ friends are more predictive of divorce than are wives’ negative perceptions of husbands’ friends; (3) friendship disapproval may be less critical in the marital lives of Black husbands and wives than of White husbands and wives; and (4) the association between disapproval of wives’ friends at Year 1 and divorce may be partially explained by wives’ friends interfering in the marriage. Our findings are interpreted in light of possible mechanisms to explain the link between partner disapproval of friends and divorce, such as diminished interdependence, less network approval, and increased spousal conflict and jealousy.