Session: Parental Factors in the Assessment and Treatment of Depression Among Ethnic Minorities (Society for Prevention Research 25th Annual Meeting)

The connection between family processes and youth externalizing behavior problems has long been established (Patterson, 1982) and therapeutic interventions connected to these risk factors have been developed (Martinez & Eddy, 2005). Parental factors have also been implicated in the development of adolescent depression (Goodman et al., 2011). However, less is known about their role across U.S. ethnic minority populations. The proposed symposium includes three presentations that focus on parental factors related to the assessment and treatment of depression. All of the studies include a focus on ethnic minority adolescents and incorporate cultural variables relevant to these populations. The study designs include large samples, multiple informants, and experimental data designs. The first paper focuses on Asian American, European American, and Latinx late adolescents and demonstrates that parental expectations can differentially impact depression symptoms across ethnic groups. The second study was conducted on a predominately low income, Latino early adolescents sample, and their parents. Latent Class Analyses are utilized to determine patterns of parent-child endorsement and agreement of youth depressive symptoms. Significant predictors of the three identified classes were found, including mental health service use, externalizing problems, and parental interview language. The third study presents the results of a randomized control trial to reduce depressive symptoms among urban, low-income, ethnic minority adolescents utilizing the Modular Act & Adapt Program. The focus of the presentation is on the development of the parental modules that supplement the youth group intervention, and the importance of family climate, parental behaviors, and parental attachment in understanding the program's effects. Combined, these studies help understand ways that parents play critical roles in the lives of ethnic minority adolescents and the importance of incorporating these parental variables when considering adolescent mental health prevention efforts.