The Value of Children, Parenting Strains, and Depression Among Urban African American Mothers

Abstract

This exploratory analysis examines the relationship between two dimensions of the parenting experience—values regarding children and parenting strains—and depression in a sample of 285 urban, economically disadvantaged African American women. An examination of this relationship among economically disadvantaged African American women is important in light of the high stress exposure of these mothers, their limited opportunity to engage in rewarding employment, and in view of the centrality of motherhood in this cultural context. Our central finding is that the impact of parenting strains on depression is substantially moderated by beliefs about the costs and emotional fulfillment associated with having children. African American mothers who regard the costs of children as low and the potential of children for providing emotional fulfillment as high are significantly more depressed by high parenting strains than African American mothers who hold the opposite beliefs about the costs and benefits of children. Variation in values regarding children and parenting strains accounts for more than 40% of variation in depression. These findings suggest the importance of understanding the social–psychological factors that contribute to the quality of parenting, not only because maternal mental health is important in and of itself, but because maternal well-being has a direct impact on child well-being.