Stress and Health Disparities in Multiracial Families: The Differential Impact of Emotional and Financial Family Support on Perceived and Physiological Stress

ABSTRACT Objective The current paper examines the relationship between the racial composition of parent dyads and stress, with family support as a potential mediator. Background Multiracial families have increased dramatically in the United States over the last several decades. Research indicates that parents in multiracial families face more stress and family conflict than their monoracial counterparts, resulting in increased rates of relationship dissolution. Little research, however, addresses the key determinants of stress that may lead to greater relational distress for parents in multiracial families. Moreover, during major life transitions, such as the early years of parenthood, parents in multiracial families may face unique, and potentially more frequent challenges, than parents in monoracial families as they attempt to mesh differing cultural values and norms, exacerbating their experiences of stress. Moreover, the challenges multiracial families face must be situated within the present‐day, sociopolitical context in the United States where racial tensions and immigration policies have heightened the stress experienced by families of color. In the face of these challenges, the current study examines how family support may serve as a key resilience factor during new parenthood for multiracial families. Method Analyses were conducted using data from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which included 3831 parents during early parenthood (3132 Monoracial; 699 Multiracial) between 25 and 34 years old ( M = 29.24; 58% Female; child age range: 0–3 years old). The analyses are not dyadic; the data includes measurements from one parent only. Results Parents in multiracial families experienced more general stress than parents in monoracial families. Furthermore, parents in White partner/partner of color (White‐POC) dyads reported higher stress compared to all other racial compositions. Financial family support, but not emotional support, partially mediated the relationship between racial composition and stress; such that parents in multiracial families reported more financial family support, which then predicted greater stress. Conclusion Parents in certain types of multiracial families (i.e., White‐POC) may be at heightened risk of experiencing stress. In addition, receiving financial support from family members was a significant predictor of stress for parents in multiracial families. Future analysis should continue to explore the diversity of multiracial dyads to understand the specific risks within different racial compositions.