Parental depressive symptoms, parent–adolescent conflict, and externalizing symptoms in Black families

Abstract Objective The current study examined whether parent–adolescent conflict mediated the association between parental depressive symptoms and adolescents' externalizing symptoms in Black families, with differences in these associations based on parent gender also explored. Background Parental depressive symptoms have been consistently linked to their adolescent's negative outcomes, specifically via the pathway of parent–adolescent relationship quality. However, many of these associations have not been tested on a sample of Black families where there may be important variations due to Black populations' unique experiences. Method The sample included 567 Black parents, each with an adolescent aged 11–18 years old. Parents completed questionnaires on parental mental health, parenting, and their adolescent's well‐being. Path analyses were used to test the hypothesized associations. Results Results revealed that parent–adolescent conflict mediated the association between parental depressive symptoms and adolescent externalizing symptoms. This relationship was stronger among Black fathers than among Black mothers between families. Conclusion The current study adds to the literature that finds negative associations between parental depressive symptoms and their adolescents' externalizing symptoms via parent–adolescent conflict among a sample of Black families. Implications Implications for interventions and the importance of including Black fathers in studies assessing parent–adolescent relationships are discussed.