Work

Associations of Mothers' Friendship Quality with Adolescents' Friendship Quality and Emotional Adjustment

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Little research has examined the association of parents' friendships with adolescent's well‐being, perhaps because the association was considered too distal. However, developmental theories suggest that contexts in which parents, but not their children, are situated may be related to child development (Bronfenbrenner, , ). The current work examined associations between the quality of mothers' own friendships and their adolescent children's friendship quality and emotional adjustment. Fifth‐, eighth‐, and eleventh‐graders (N = 172) whose mothers' friendships were characterized by conflict and antagonism reported having friendships that were high in negative friendship qualities as well as elevated internalizing symptoms. These associations held after controlling for mother–child relationship quality, suggesting that mothers' friendships may have a unique association with adolescents' adjustment.

Source: Journal of Research on Adolescence

DOI: 10.1111/jora.12021

Authors: Gary C. Glick, Amanda J. Rose, Lance P. Swenson, Erika M. Waller

Institutions: University of Missouri, Suffolk University

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health