Stress generation in intact community families: Depressive symptoms, perceived family relationship stress, and implications for adolescent adjustment

The family stress generation process was examined, as was the role of famil y stress generation in adolescent adjustment. Participants were mothers (n = 119), fathers (n = 96), and adolescents (n = 119) from intact, community families. Assessments were conducted at two points during adolescence, sepa rated by one year. Mother's initial depressive symptoms generated perceived stress in both her marital and mother-adolescent relationship a year later . In turn, mother-reported family relationship stress exacerbated her depre ssive symptoms. Mother-reported family stress generation contributed to hig her levels of depressive symptoms in both adolescent girls and boys. Althou gh no evidence of a family stress generation process for fathers was found, father-reported family relationship stress was associated with greater ado lescent depressive symptoms.