Family ties in tough times: How young adults and their parents view the U.S. economic crisis.

Abstract

The present intergenerational study examined the perceived impact of the recent U.S. economic crisis on a sample of 68 young adult-parent dyads. The relative contribution of perceived economic pressure, reports of adult child-parent relationship quality, and concerns about the economic future in accounting for variation in self-reports of psychological distress for adult children and their middle-aged parents were examined. Parents' concerns about their children's economic future accounted for variation in their reports of anxiety and depressed mood above and beyond that of perceived economic pressures and their views of the parent-child relationship. In contrast, for young adults, reports of personal economic pressure were generally related to self-reported anxiety and depressed mood. Implications of findings for research and practice are discussed.