Search Results

Author: Chen, Eva Yi-Ju
Resulting in 4 citations.
1. Chen, Eva Yi-Ju
Enright, Robert D.
Tung, Eli Yi-Liang
The Influence of Family Unions and Parenthood Transitions on Self-Development
Journal of Family Psychology 30,3 (2016): 341-352.
Also: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/fam0000154
Cohort(s): NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Keyword(s): Marital History/Transitions; Parenthood; Pearlin Mastery Scale; Self-Esteem

The present study discusses the impact of union and parenthood transitions on individuals' self-esteem and sense of mastery development from midadolescence to young adulthood by using multilevel analyses with longitudinal data of 7,339 individuals between ages 15 and 38. The results show that, first, individuals in marital unions show significantly greater rates of growth in self-esteem and sense of mastery, compared with singles. Therefore, entering into marriage provides greater protections to individuals' self-esteem and sense of mastery. Second, the transition to parenthood brings significant decreases in levels and increases in rates of change in self-esteem and sense of mastery among new parents. The degree of the aforementioned changes differs by new parents' gender, union status, and living arrangement with the child at childbirth. Women are influenced more negatively than men. Living with the child at childbirth reduces the degree of decreases in self-esteem and sense of mastery, especially for mothers. In sum, from midadolescence to young adulthood, the development of individuals' self-esteem and sense of mastery is shaped by their union and parenthood transitions. Moreover, the context where these transitions take place, including the type of union and the living arrangement, moderates the degree of the impact. Our findings have important implications for research and practice in promoting the family transition experience.
Bibliography Citation
Chen, Eva Yi-Ju, Robert D. Enright and Eli Yi-Liang Tung. "The Influence of Family Unions and Parenthood Transitions on Self-Development." Journal of Family Psychology 30,3 (2016): 341-352.
2. Chen, Eva Yi-Ju
Tung, Eli Yi-Liang
Parents' Psychological Well-being and Story Reading: A Six Year Cross-Lagged Analysis
Journal of Child and Family Studies published online (4 March 2022): DOI: 10.1007/s10826-022-02272-7.
Also: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-022-02272-7
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Springer
Keyword(s): Children; Depression (see also CESD); Parents, Behavior; Pearlin Mastery Scale; Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) (see Self-Esteem); Well-Being

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Research has documented significant influences of parental psychological well-being on parenting. Yet, few studies have examined multiple measures of psychological well-being simultaneously to understand the underlying pathways and mediation factors. The present study employed new parents, without chronically high depressive symptoms, to examine across-time associations between the frequency of story reading and multiple measures of parental psychological well-being, namely the depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and global sense of personal control, in the first six years after becoming parents. Cross-lagged panel models with three time intervals were constructed to examine the across-time associations with 177 new parents. Significant direct and indirect effects between parental psychological well-being and story reading in the first six years after childbirth were identified. In the first three years after childbirth, new parents with more depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem tended to engage in more frequent story reading. New parents' global sense of personal control, when the child was one to three years old, had a direct positive effect on story reading two to three years later. Through the mediation of self-esteem, parents with low psychological well-being after childbirth tended to engage in more frequent story reading when the child was three to six years old. Furthermore, the indirect effects of story reading on parental well-being were mediated by self-esteem and global sense of personal control. Findings from the present study underscored the importance of considering multiple measures of psychological well-being in understanding the bidirectional interactions between new parents' well-being and early story reading in early family context.
Bibliography Citation
Chen, Eva Yi-Ju and Eli Yi-Liang Tung. "Parents' Psychological Well-being and Story Reading: A Six Year Cross-Lagged Analysis." Journal of Child and Family Studies published online (4 March 2022): DOI: 10.1007/s10826-022-02272-7.
3. Chen, Eva Yi-Ju
Tung, Eli Yi-Liang
Similarities and Differences in the Longitudinal Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms from Mid-Adolescence to Young Adulthood: the Intersectionality of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Levels of Depressive Symptoms
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities published online (10 May 2023): DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01630-5.
Also: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-023-01630-5
Cohort(s): NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: Springer
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); Ethnic Differences; Gender Differences; Racial Differences

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Background: Understanding similarities and differences between groups with intersecting social identities provides key information in research and practice to promote well-being. Building on the intersectionality literature indicating significant gender and racial/ethnic differences in depressive symptoms, the present study used quantile regression to systematically present the diversity in the development of depressive symptoms for individuals with intersecting gender, race/ethnicity, and levels of symptoms.

Methods: Information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79: Child and Young Adult study was employed. A detailed picture of depressive symptom trajectories from low to high quantiles was illustrated by depicting 13 quantile-specific trajectories using follow-up data from ages 15 to 40 in six gender-race/ethnicity groups: both genders of Black, Hispanic, and non-Black, non-Hispanic individuals.

Results: From low to high quantiles, Black and non-Black, non-Hispanic individuals showed mostly curved, and Hispanic individuals showed mostly flat trajectories. Across the six gender-race/ethnicity groups, the trajectories below 0.50 quantiles were similar in levels and shapes from mid-adolescence to young adulthood. The differences between the six gender-race/ethnicity groups widened, indicated by outspreading trajectories, especially at quantiles above 0.50. Furthermore, non-Black, non-Hispanic males and females showed especially fast-increasing patterns at quantiles above 0.75. Among those without or with only a high school degree, Black females and non-Black, non-Hispanic females tended to report similar levels of depressive symptoms higher than other groups at high quantiles. These unique longitudinal trajectory profiles cannot be captured by the mean trajectories.

Bibliography Citation
Chen, Eva Yi-Ju and Eli Yi-Liang Tung. "Similarities and Differences in the Longitudinal Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms from Mid-Adolescence to Young Adulthood: the Intersectionality of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Levels of Depressive Symptoms." Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities published online (10 May 2023): DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01630-5.
4. Chen, Eva Yi-Ju
Tung, Eli Yi-Liang
Enright, Robert D.
Pre-parenthood Sense of Self and the Adjustment to the Transition to Parenthood
Journal of Marriage and Family 83,2 (April 2021): 428-445.
Also: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.12709
Cohort(s): NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing, Inc. => Wiley Online
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); Parenthood; Pearlin Mastery Scale; Self-Esteem; Well-Being

Objective: The present study examined the moderation role of pre-parenthood self-esteem and sense of mastery in psychological well-being across the transition to parenthood.

Background: Past research has identified negative changes in new parents' psychological well-being. Less studied are the protective factors that can alleviate this transition impact. Informed by theories of psychological well-being, the protective role of pre-parenthood positive sense of self in parenthood transitions was examined.

Method: Longitudinal data for 2,588 individuals collected from adolescence through their transition to parenthood were analyzed. Pre-parenthood sense-of-self trajectory groups were formed using data collected during adolescence. Piecewise multilevel models were constructed to explore the effect of pre-parenthood sense of self on new parents' psychological well-being measured by depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and sense of mastery.

Results: Compared to nonparent peers, the transitions to parenthood lowered new parents' psychological well-being. This aforementioned change differed by pre-parenthood sense-of-self trajectory groups. Contrary to expectations, new parents with high self-esteem or sense of mastery during adolescence experienced greater negative immediate impacts at childbirth, compared to their low sense of self counterparts. Furthermore, new parents with both high pre-parenthood self-esteem and sense of mastery demonstrated gradual declines in sense of self after childbirth.

Bibliography Citation
Chen, Eva Yi-Ju, Eli Yi-Liang Tung and Robert D. Enright. "Pre-parenthood Sense of Self and the Adjustment to the Transition to Parenthood." Journal of Marriage and Family 83,2 (April 2021): 428-445.