Parent’s Just Don’t Understand: Parental Support, Religion and Depressive Symptoms among Same-Race and Interracial Relationships

Andrea Henderson,Mia Brantley

doi:10.3390/rel10030162

Abstract

Research finds that individuals in interracial relationships have poorer mental health than those in same-race relationships. Family support, or lack thereof, may play an important role in explaining the psychological risks for such individuals. Growing attention has focused on the complex interplay between religion, health, and family life, particularly the stress-buffering role of religious involvement. However, little attention has been given to the possible mitigating effects of religion in the face of limited family support among same-race and interracial couples. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), this study addresses two important questions: (1) Is weak family support associated with depressive symptoms among individuals in same-race and interracial relationships?; and (2) Does religious involvement buffer the association between weak family support and depressive symptoms for individuals engaged in these romantic ties? Results suggest that weak parental support is associated with depressive symptoms for individuals in both same-race and interracial relationships, however we find limited support of religion protecting against weak parental support for individuals in interracial unions. The results highlight the complex interplay between religion, health, and family in contemporary American life.

Highlights

Recent increases in the rate of interracial relationships, both in dating and marriage, suggest it has garnered greater social acceptance (Carroll 2007; Herman and Campbell 2012)
Using Wave IV data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), this study addresses two important questions: (1) Is weak parental support associated with depressive symptoms among individuals in same-race and interracial relationships?; and (2) Does religious involvement moderate the association between weak parental support and depressive symptoms among individuals engaged in these relationships? We generate two conceptual models, including the stress-buffering model, to examine these research questions
We found no significant interactions between weak parental support and our measures of religious involvement, suggesting religion does little to protect against the deleterious effects of weak parental support on depression among individuals in same-race relationships

Summary

Introduction

Recent increases in the rate of interracial relationships, both in dating and marriage, suggest it has garnered greater social acceptance (Carroll 2007; Herman and Campbell 2012). As of 2015, nearly 17% of new marriages were between partners of a different race compared to less than 1% in 1970 Familial support continues to be an important and vital part of young adult adjustment (Arnett and Schwab 2013; Fingerman et al 2012), and in its absence many young adults are vulnerable to psychological distress Findings from several recent studies suggest that when compared to their same-race counterparts, individuals in interracial relationships report higher rates of distress and anxiety There is mixed evidence that parental support helps to explain the differences in the association between depressive symptoms and interracial and same-race relationships (Tillman and Miller 2017). Limited work has identified social and cultural factors that may protect the mental well-being of individuals in interracial relationships from the loss of social support

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Conclusion