Parental Stress and Coparenting Among Adolescent Parents

• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Author: Norma J. Perez‐Brena,Jeneé C. Duncan,Carolina Jongh,Michelle Toews
• Date: 01 July 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12499

N J. P-BTexas State University

J C. DUniversity of Florida

C  JTexas State University

M TKansas State University

Parental Stress and Coparenting Among

Adolescent Parents

Objective: This research examines the associa-

tion of parental stressand coparenting dynamics

among adolescent mother and father dyads. The

current study also examinespotential differences

between pregnant and parenting dyads in this

association.

Background: The early transition to parent-

hood places adolescents at an elevated risk

of negative outcomes. Thus, it is important to

understand the mechanisms that might place

adolescent parents at risk (parental stress) or

promote resilience in the transition to parent-

hood (coparenting dynamics).

Methods: Using the actor–partner interdepen-

dence model, the current study examined how

parental stress was associated with coparent-

ing communication and conict among a sample

of 105 predominately Latinx adolescent parent

dyads.

Results: Mothers’ reports of parental stress

were associated with their own and their

coparents’ report of coparenting communica-

tion and conict. Fathers’ parental stress was

only associated with their own coparenting

School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State

University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666

(n_p85@txstate.edu).

Key Words: actor–partner interdependence model, adoles-

cent parents, coparenting, Latino, parentingstress.

conict. Further, signicant differences were

not observed between pregnant and parenting

dyads.

Conclusion: The results highlight the nuanced

gender dynamics between adolescent parents

and support the idea that coparenting dynamics

are similar across the transition to parenthood.

Implications: These ndings suggest that

parental stress, especially adolescent moth-

ers’ parental stress, has a salient inuence

on coparenting. Thus, programs and services

for adolescent parents might target reduc-

ing parental stress to improve coparenting

dynamics.

In 2017, more than 196,000 adolescents under

age 20 years became parents in the United States

(Martin et al., 2018). Although the rates of ado-

lescent pregnancy have declined by 55% since

2007, Latinx youth still make up over one-third

of these adolescent pregnancies each year (Mar-

tin et al., 2018). Early transition to parenthood

places youth at an elevated risk for dropping out

of high school (Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 2017) and living in poverty(Pittman

& Coley, 2011). Giventhese potential risks, it is

important to understand mechanisms that might

place Latinx adolescent parents at risk or pro-

mote resilience during the transition to parent-

hood.

Family Relations 70 (July 2021): 793–807793

DOI:10.1111/fare.12499