Citation

Park YR, Nix RL, Duncan LG, Coatsworth JD, Greenberg MT. Fam. Process 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Family Process Institute, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/famp.12498

PMID

31625603

Abstract

The current study examined unfolding relations among mothers' mindful parenting, parent-adolescent recurrent conflict, and adolescents' externalizing and internalizing problems. In a community sample of 117 families (31% black, Asian, American Indian, or Latino), parents and adolescents (52% female; average age = 12.13 years) were followed over 15 months. Parents answered questions about mindful parenting and recurrent conflict, and adolescents reported on their own externalizing and internalizing problems. Path analyses indicated that higher levels of mindful parenting were significantly related to lower levels of recurrent conflict 2-3 months later, controlling for previous levels of recurrent conflict. Moreover, lower levels of recurrent conflict were significantly related to lower levels of externalizing problems and internalizing problems 1 year later, controlling for previous levels of those problems. Subgroup analyses indicated that relations were comparable across subgroups defined by adolescent gender, race, parent marital status, and family financial strain. The effects of mindful parenting were robust even after accounting for other indicators of positive and supportive parenting, namely inductive reasoning and warmth in the parent-adolescent relationship. These findings highlight the potential of mindful parenting to improve family interactions and adolescent adjustment.

© 2019 Family Process Institute.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent externalizing and internalizing behaviors; mindful parenting; parent-adolescent conflict