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Interparental Conflict, Parenting, and Childhood Depression in a Diverse Urban Population: The Role of General Cognitive Style

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Abstract

Research on the mechanisms by which interparental conflict (IPC) affects child depression suggests that both parenting and children’s conflict appraisals play important roles, but few studies have explored the role of general cognitive style or included both parenting and cognitions in the same design. Moreover, the effects of IPC on minority children are not well understood. In this longitudinal study, parenting was examined as a mediator of the relation between increasing IPC and change in depression. General cognitive style was included as a moderator. The combined influence of parenting and cognitions was also explored. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 88 fifth and sixth graders from two urban schools reported their cognitive style, depressive symptoms, and perceptions of conflict and parenting at two time points separated by one year. Parental warmth/rejection mediated the relation between IPC and depression, and general cognitive style acted as a moderator. Parenting, cognitive style, and IPC did not significantly interact to predict change in depression over time. Findings indicate that both parenting and children’s general cognitive style play a role in understanding the impact of increasing IPC on children’s well-being.

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Acknowledgements

Preparation of this article was supported by a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Career Development Award K01 MH67571 and a NARSAD Young Investigator Award to Esteban Cardemil. The authors wish to thank Anthony Spirito, Ph.D., for his guidance in the early stages of this project and thoughtful feedback on this paper.

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  1. Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA

    Ellen H. O’Donnell, Melissa Moreau, Esteban V. Cardemil & Alisha Pollastri

  2. Massachusetts General Hospital, LEAP Program, 151 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Ellen H. O’Donnell

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  1. Ellen H. O’Donnell
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  2. Melissa Moreau
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  3. Esteban V. Cardemil
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  4. Alisha Pollastri
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Correspondence to Ellen H. O’Donnell.

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O’Donnell, E.H., Moreau, M., Cardemil, E.V. et al. Interparental Conflict, Parenting, and Childhood Depression in a Diverse Urban Population: The Role of General Cognitive Style. J Youth Adolescence 39, 12–22 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9357-9

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