Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19

Amidst the health and socioeconomic burdens COVID-19 placed on families, communities of color also grappled with heightened xenophobia and racism. Yet, adolescents also found silver linings in the form of spending time with family and engaging in activities promoting relaxation and leisure. The pres...

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Main Authors: Frances M. Lobo, Casandra J. Gomez Alvarado, Giselle De Leon, Valerie V. Salcido, Paula Sanchez-Hernandez, Gabriela L. Stein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/862
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author Frances M. Lobo
Casandra J. Gomez Alvarado
Giselle De Leon
Valerie V. Salcido
Paula Sanchez-Hernandez
Gabriela L. Stein
author_facet Frances M. Lobo
Casandra J. Gomez Alvarado
Giselle De Leon
Valerie V. Salcido
Paula Sanchez-Hernandez
Gabriela L. Stein
author_sort Frances M. Lobo
collection DOAJ
description Amidst the health and socioeconomic burdens COVID-19 placed on families, communities of color also grappled with heightened xenophobia and racism. Yet, adolescents also found silver linings in the form of spending time with family and engaging in activities promoting relaxation and leisure. The present study examined parent-adolescent relationship quality (RQ) as a moderator of the relations of Latinx youth’s environment (i.e., racial-ethnic discrimination, COVID-19 stress, and COVID-19 silver linings) on their anxiety and depressive symptoms, both concurrently and six months later. Participants included 135 Latinx adolescents (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 16.00, <i>SD</i> = 1.27; 59.3% female; 85.2% U.S.-born). Path analytic models revealed that youth discrimination experiences were positively associated with youth symptomatology, whereas COVID-19 silver linings and positive RQ were negatively associated with youth symptomatology. We also found that at mean and higher levels of negative RQ, discrimination experiences were positively associated with concurrent anxiety symptoms, suggesting that negative relationship features (e.g., conflict, pressure) exacerbated the effects of discrimination on youth anxiety. Therefore, stressors may predict youth symptomatology concurrently, but cultivating a positive parent-adolescent relationship and encouraging finding silver linings may bolster resilience in Latinx youth across time amidst adversity.
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spelling doaj-art-3bbc779e69754e9eba892f744c72a7d22025-08-20T03:58:27ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-06-0115786210.3390/bs15070862Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19Frances M. Lobo0Casandra J. Gomez Alvarado1Giselle De Leon2Valerie V. Salcido3Paula Sanchez-Hernandez4Gabriela L. Stein5Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USADepartment of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USASchool of Education, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Psychology, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USADepartment of Psychology, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USADepartment of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USAAmidst the health and socioeconomic burdens COVID-19 placed on families, communities of color also grappled with heightened xenophobia and racism. Yet, adolescents also found silver linings in the form of spending time with family and engaging in activities promoting relaxation and leisure. The present study examined parent-adolescent relationship quality (RQ) as a moderator of the relations of Latinx youth’s environment (i.e., racial-ethnic discrimination, COVID-19 stress, and COVID-19 silver linings) on their anxiety and depressive symptoms, both concurrently and six months later. Participants included 135 Latinx adolescents (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 16.00, <i>SD</i> = 1.27; 59.3% female; 85.2% U.S.-born). Path analytic models revealed that youth discrimination experiences were positively associated with youth symptomatology, whereas COVID-19 silver linings and positive RQ were negatively associated with youth symptomatology. We also found that at mean and higher levels of negative RQ, discrimination experiences were positively associated with concurrent anxiety symptoms, suggesting that negative relationship features (e.g., conflict, pressure) exacerbated the effects of discrimination on youth anxiety. Therefore, stressors may predict youth symptomatology concurrently, but cultivating a positive parent-adolescent relationship and encouraging finding silver linings may bolster resilience in Latinx youth across time amidst adversity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/862COVID-19parent-adolescent relationship qualityanxietydepression
spellingShingle Frances M. Lobo
Casandra J. Gomez Alvarado
Giselle De Leon
Valerie V. Salcido
Paula Sanchez-Hernandez
Gabriela L. Stein
Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19
Behavioral Sciences
COVID-19
parent-adolescent relationship quality
anxiety
depression
title Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19
title_full Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19
title_fullStr Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19
title_short Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality on Youth Symptoms Amidst COVID-19
title_sort effects of parent adolescent relationship quality on youth symptoms amidst covid 19
topic COVID-19
parent-adolescent relationship quality
anxiety
depression
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/862
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