The Associations Between Social Support, Economic Strain, and Parenting Stress Among At-Risk Families

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that social support mediates the relation between economic strain and parenting stress using a sample of parents and caregivers (N = 151) of adolescents (ages 11-14) attending a six-week summer camp for at-risk youth. Economic strain (i.e., the perception of financial hardship) was significantly associated with greater parenting stress (i.e., stress specifically associated with parenting and the parental role). Economic strain was significantly associated with less social support. Social support was not significantly associated with parenting stress when controlling for economic strain and social support did not mediate the relation between economic strain and parenting stress levels. These findings suggest that parenting stress is strongly affected by the perception of financial hardship and that social support does not ameliorate the parenting stress associated with financial hardship.