Long‐Term Effects of Stressors on Relationship Well‐Being and Parenting Among Rural African American Women*

• Author: Amanda W. Harrell,Yi‐Fu Chen,Ronald L. Simons,Velma M. Murry,Gene H. Brody,Frederick X. Gibbons,Carolyn E. Cutrona,Angela R. Black
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00488.x
• Date: 01 April 2008
• Published date: 01 April 2008

Long-Term Effects of Stressors on Relationship

Well-Being and Parenting Among Rural

African American Women*

Velma M. Murry Amanda W. Harrell Gene H. Brody Yi-Fu Chen Ronald L. Simons

Angela R. Black Carolyn E. Cutrona Frederick X. Gibbons**

Abstract: This investigation of the effects of stressful life events on rural African American women’s relationship

well-being, psychological functioning, and parenting included 361 married or long-term cohabiting women. Associa-

tions among stressful events, socioeconomic status, perceived racial discrimination, coping strategies, psychological

functioning, relationship well-being, and parenting were tested. Stressful events were related directly to diminished

relationship well-being and heightened psychological distress and indirectly to compromised parenting. The results

can inform research and intervention with African American women.

Key Words: African Americans, couples relationship, romantic relationships, rural family, stress.

Since the early 1990s, a major shift has occurred in

the proportion of African Americans who live in

married-couple families. In 2000, 43.3% of African

American men and 41.9% of African American

women had never been married compared with 27.4

and 20.7% of Caucasian men and women, respec-

tively (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). Only 45%

of married African Americans live with their spouses

compared with 61% of Native Americans, 70% of

Hispanics, and 81% of Caucasians. Concerns about

the consequences of declines in marriage for African

Americans’ economic, social, familial, and psycho-

logical well-being have been noted among policy-

makers, faith-based constituents, mental health

service providers, educators, and researchers.

The accumulation of stress from economic pres-

sure, demanding jobs, and everyday family problems

can deplete individuals’ time and energy resources,

which, in turn, can occasion psychological distress

and strain marriages. Cutrona et al. (2003) reported

that residing in the rural South or in economically

disadvantaged communities forecasts low levels of

warmth during African American couples’ marital

interactions. Furthermore, feelings and behaviors that

strained, discordant, and highly conflicted marriages

generate can spill over to disrupt parents’ effective

childrearing practices (Cummings & Davies, 2002).

In the current study, we evaluated predictions

about salient vulnerability factors that affect rural

African American women’s intimate relationship

*This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health through funding for the Center for Family Research in Rural Mental Health (MH48165) at

Iowa State University. Additional funding was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the

Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station (Project 3320).

**Velma M. Murry is at the Institute for Behavioral Research, Center for FamilyResearch, University of Georgia, 1095College Station Road, Athens, GA 30602-4527

(vmurry@uga.edu).Amanda Harrell is at the 3-C Institute for Social Development, 1903 N.Harrison Ave., Suite 101, Cary, NC 27513 (ssgrina@3cisd.com). GeneH.

Brody is Director and RegentsProfessor, Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, 1095 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30602 (gbrody@uga.edu). Yi-Fu

Chen is a ResearchStatistician, Center for Family Research,University of Georgia, 1095 CollegeStation Rd., Athens GA 30605 (yifu@uga.edu).Ronald Simons is a Distin-

guished ResearchProfessor, Department of Sociology,116 Baldwin Hall, Universityof Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (rsimons@uga.edu). Angela R. Blackis a Postdoctoral

Fellow, Illinois Public Health Research Fellow, Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor St., 625 SPHPI, Chicago, IL 60612-4394

(arblackl@uic.edu). Carolyn E. Cutronais the Director, Institute for Socialand Behavioral Research, and Professorof Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011

(ccutrona@iastate.edu). FrederickX. Gibbons is a Professor of Psychology, Iowa State University,Ames, IA 50011 (fgibbons@iastate.edu).

Family Relations, 57 (April 2008), 117–127. Blackwell Publishing.

Copyright 2008 by the National Council on Family Relations.