Family Relationships and Mexican American Emerging Adults' Adjustment

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] I investigated associations between Mexican American parent-emerging adult relationships and the association on emerging adults' adjustment (N=186). Additionally, I explored the importance of family (familism values) and sibling relationship quality as a moderator of these associations. When moms were more accepting emerging adults had higher self-esteem. Additionally, when moms were more psychologically controlling emerging adults had lower self-esteem and higher depressive symptoms. When dads were more psychologically controlling emerging adults had lower self-esteem and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Further when emerging adults' reported low, but not high, importance of family (familism values) they had higher depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem when dads were highly psychologically control than when dads were lower in psychological control. No significant results were found for Mexican American parent-emerging adult relationships association with emerging adult's adjustment when moderated by sibling relationship quality. Findings point to the importance of familism values and Mexican American parent-emerging adult relationships for emerging adut adjustment and has implications for family therapy practice.