Economic Adversity and Depressive Symptoms in Parents: Do Marital Status and Perceived Social Support Matter?

Introduction:Parents facing economic adversity are at particular risk for depressive symptoms (Goosby, 2007, Dearing, Taylor & McCartney, 2004) but little is known about factors that may moderate the relationship between economic adversity and depressive symptoms. Understanding how to moderate risks for depression has important implications for promoting well-being among parents with limited financial resources. The potential buffering effect of marital status, perceived social support and perceived neighborhood collective efficacy on the relationship between economic adversity and depressive symptoms was investigated in a diverse group of urban parents. 

Methods:Secondary data analysis of the longitudinal cohort study of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) was performed. Participants were 2,287 primary caregivers of minor children. Forty-four percent were Latino, 33% African-American, 21% European-American, 4.4 % Native American, 2.1% Asian or Pacific Islander and 36% reported their race as Other. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to analyze the data.

Results: Analysis of main effects revealed negative associations between neighborhood SES (β = -0.64, SE (0.15), p < .001) and family income (β = -0.13, SE (0.04), p = .004) and symptoms of depression. There was a positive association between financial strain and symptoms of depression (β = 0.53, SE (0.17), p = .002). Single parents reported increased numbers of depressive symptoms relative to married parents (β = 0.73, SE (0.25), p=.004). Cohabitating was not significantly related to depressive symptoms (β = 0.32, SE (0.56), p=0.57). Perceived social support was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (β = -0.21, SE (0.03), p<.001). Neighborhood collective efficacy was not associated with depressive symptoms (β = -0.03, SE (0.01), p = .08).

There were no significant interactions between marital status or neighborhood collective efficacy and economic adversity. There was a significant interaction between perceived social support and neighborhood level socioeconomic status (β = -0.08, SE (0.03), p = .02). Perceived social support decreased depressive symptoms for residents living in all neighborhoods but the effects of social support were weakest in neighborhoods characterized by low socioeconomic status.

Conclusions: The results suggest that interpersonal resources have limited ability to buffer the effects of economic adversity on depressive symptoms among parents. Risks related to economic adversity are not likely to be mitigated by efforts to bolster interpersonal support.