Family Ties in Tough Times: How Young Adults and Parents View the U.S. Economic Crisis
Jaclyn E. Leith, Kristen M. Abraham, Erin E. Bonar, Erica Hoffmann, Shane W. Kraus, & Catherine H.
Stein
Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University
Abstract
The present intergenerational study examined the role of economic pressures and concerns on
individual well-being in a sample of 136 young adults and their parents from 68 families. For parents,
concerns about their children’s economic future accounted for variation in reports of anxiety and
depressed mood beyond perceived economic pressures and views of the parent-child relationship. In
contrast, for young adults, perceived economic pressures were predictive of self-reported anxiety and
depressed mood. Results underscore the importance of understanding family relationships within a
larger social and economic context.
Introduction
Current U.S. Financial Crisis
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Economic crisis of 2008 represents the deepest recession since the Great Depression.
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Dramatic increase in overall unemployment, with Midwest employment levels between14-16%
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Americans from a wide range of financial circumstances have lost their homes and jobs.
•
Although the U.S. economy is showing signs of improvement, Americans generally remain
pessimistic about economic recovery.
Impact of Economic Hardship on Family Relationships and Psychological Well-being
•
Economic pressure can negatively impact parent-child relationships (Conger et al., 1999).
•
Economic pressure has also been tied to greater emotional distress in parents and adjustment
problems in children (Solantaus, Leinonen, & Punamaki, 2004).
•
From a life course perspective, the economic crisis may be particularly difficult in families where
adult children will soon enter the workforce.
•
Given the lack of current employment opportunities, it is likely that young adults’ career choice
as well as potential sacrifices to assist parents hold heightened significance.
•
Community psychologists can play a vital role in helping to understand the impact of the United
States economic crisis for individuals, families, and communities.
Present Study
•
Examined the relative contribution of economic pressures, relationship quality, and economic
future concerns in accounting for variation in young adults’ and parents’ reports of psychological
distress.
•
Hypotheses:
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Increased economic pressures would be positively related to self-reported anxiety and
depressed mood for young adults and parents.
•
Concerns about adult children’s career choice and sacrifices to assist parents would account for
greater variance in psychological distress than perceptions of adult child – parent relationship
quality for young adults and parents.
Method
Procedure
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Institutional review board approval
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Online survey methodology- parallel versions for young adults and parents
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Young adults and parents completed survey independently of one another
Recruitment
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Young adults recruited from psychology classrooms at a Midwestern University
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Parents recruited through young adults’ nominations
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Recruited from April – June 2009
Sample
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68 young adults and their middle-aged parents from intact families
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Primarily Caucasian (91%)
Young adults: 51 women, 17 men; Age: M = 21 (SD = 1.5); 57% junior or senior in college; 57%
unemployed; 49% reported finances were “worse that one year ago.”
Middle-aged parents: 56 mothers, 12 fathers; Age: 50 (SD = 6); 40% college or advanced degree; 54%
employed full-time, 16% unemployed, 51% reported finances were “worse than one year ago.”
Measures
Economic Pressure. Economic Pressure Scale (Conger, Conger, Elder, Lorenz, Simons, & Whitbeck 1992)
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Assessed financial difficulties associated with stressful economic conditions
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Three indexes: 1. Felt Constraints (i.e., one’s ability to make ends meet), 2. Meeting Material
Needs (i.e., ability to pay for basic needs), and 3. Economic Adjustments (i.e., involvement in
reducing financial expenses or increasing financial risks).
Parent-Child Relationship. Parent-Child Relationship Questionnaire (Kowal, Krull, & Kramer, 2004)
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Parallel versions assessed perceived closeness and conflict in the parent – child relationship.
Concerns about Adult Children’s Future. Career Choice Concerns; Sacrifice to Assist Parents
•
•
Brief self-report measures of worries associated with young adults’ career choice and concerns
about need to sacrifice to assist parents.
Developed for present study to assess life course concerns in context of economic crisis
Depressed Mood. Center for Epidemiological Studies Depressed Mood Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977)
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Assessed levels of depressed mood in young adults and their parents
Anxiety. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7 scale (Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, & Lowe, 2006)
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Brief screening instrument used to assess generalized anxiety symptoms
Results
Variation in Psychological Distress: Economic Pressures, Adult-Parent Relationship, and Concerns
about Future
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Hierarchical regressions significantly predicted emerging adults’ and parents psychological
distress
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Young adults: anxiety: F(7, 59) = 2.40, p <.05; depressed mood: F(7, 59) = 3.60, p <.01.
•
Parents: anxiety: F(7, 59) = 4.47; p <.001; depressed mood: F(7, 60) = 5.09, p <.001.
Results (cont.)
Young Adults
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Higher perceived economic pressure (Step 1) predicted higher self-reported anxiety and
depressed mood:
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ΔR2 = .14, p < .05 for anxiety
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ΔR2 = .22, p < .001 for depressed mood
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Of all economic pressure indices, only economic adjustments significantly predicted
anxiety (β =.37) and depressed mood (β = .36)
•
Parent-child relationship (Step 2) and future concerns about career and sacrifices (Step
3) were not significant predictors
Parents
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Greater concern about adult children's future (Step 3) significantly predicted higher selfreported anxiety and depressed mood:
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ΔR2 = .23, p < .05 for anxiety
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ΔR2 = .25, p < .05 for depressed mood
•
Concerns about emerging adults’ future (Step 3):
Anxiety: Concerns about emerging adults sacrificing to assist parents (β = .42) and about their career
choices (β = .22) significantly predicted higher levels of anxiety among parents
Depressed Mood: Greater concerns about young adults’ career choice (β = .39) and sacrifices for
parents (β = .31) predicted higher levels of depressed mood
•
Economic pressure (Step 1) and parent-child relationship (Step 2) did not account for
significant variance in predicting psychological distress for parents
Discussion
Summary of Research Findings
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Parents’ and young adults’ reports suggest the current recession has influenced larger family
relationship patterns and well-being
•
Young adults who felt the strain of the economic crisis on their lifestyle endorsed higher levels
of psychological distress. This contrasts prior research that found family financial stress is more
salient than personal economic pressure in predicting distress in youth (Conger, et al., 1999).
•
Parents’ anxiety and depression was related to concerns about their children’s economic future.
•
Existing literature suggests parents’ psychological distress is affected by the potential violation
of societal norms (Aquilino, 1996), which in this study may represent parents’ concerns about
young adults having to sacrifice for them.
Limitations
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Cross-sectional design with relatively small, Caucasian middle-class sample
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Mostly mothers and their daughters
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Results may have differed if young adults were on the job market or had not attended college
Implications for Community Research and Action
•
•
Results show emerging adults and parents across various financial circumstances feel the strain
of the current economic crisis
Findings point to the need for:
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University and community-based programming and information sessions about the
effects of the economic crisis on family well-being.
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Family and community professionals who can address concerns about the economic
future.
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Intervention and prevention programs that address family functioning.
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Efforts by community psychologists to better understand broader social and policy
implications of financial hardship, outside of the family and university context.
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