Transactional stress and anxiety control beliefs among low-income early adolescents

a r t i c l e i n f o The current study examined perceptions of control over anxiety-related circumstances among early adolescents living in low-income housing from a dynamic perspective of multiple ecological influences. We hypothesized that, while relational and environmental factors would influence anxiety control beliefs, beliefs about the self would explain most of the variance. Individual interviews were conducted with 162 ethnically diverse early adolescents in grades 6–8 (M age =12, 52% female) from five urban public housing sites located in a large southwestern state. Linear regression models suggest a significant positive relationship with anxiety control beliefs and coping skills and social support. An inverse relationship with anxiety control beliefs was found for level of reported hassles, family conflict, low self-esteem, and school commitment. Recommendations for the development of preventive interventions are discussed. Adolescents living in low-income and poverty neighborhoods are exposed to a range of environmental stressors that increase their vulnerability for problematic health and behavioral outcomes and may negatively impact well-being In addition to stressors impacting adolescents at the community and neighborhood level, early adolescence in particular is associated with socialization processes among peers and family members that can be stressful to navigate (Prinstein & Dodge, 2008). Folkman and Lazarus (1991) define stress as a relationship between the person and environment that is perceived by the person to exceed her/his resources at the time. Coping, on the other hand, is characterized by a person's cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage (minimize, tolerate, etc.) the internal and external demands. One important and understudied aspect of an adolescent's ability to cope and respond effectively to stressful and anxiety-related circumstances is her/his perception of control in the situation (Weems, Silverman, Rapee, & Pina, 2003). Specifically, anxiety control beliefs are negatively associated with an increased sensitivity to anxiety and childhood anxiety symptoms 2007; Weems et al., 2003). Understanding early life stressors and control beliefs and processes is important since poor coping responses to early life stressors can lead to increasingly maladjusted coping responses later in life (Anthony, 1991). 1.1. Influences on anxiety control beliefs and anxiety responses Research tends to focus on individual factors in response to stress and anxiety among children and adolescents; however, studies suggest a number of factors including family genetics, environmental factors, peer interactions, self-esteem and other beliefs about the self, and gender are influential. Regarding the impact of family and environmental context, Spence, …