Do girls' threat appraisals, self-blame appraisals, and/or anxiety sensitivity mediate the relation between marital conflict and girls' depression versus anxiety?

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2012-08

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Abstract

It was examined in 119 two-parent families with girls aged 8 to 12 (M = 10.01, SD = 1.40) whether girls’ threat and self-blame appraisals, examined simultaneously, significantly mediated the relation between marital conflict and girls’ specific internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depressive symptoms), after controlling for comorbid internalizing and externalizing symptoms. It was predicted that threat appraisals would be a stronger mediator of the relation between marital conflict and anxiety symptoms compared to self-blame appraisals, while self-blame appraisals would be a stronger mediator of the relation between marital conflict and depressive symptoms compared to threat appraisals. Parent-reported marital conflict and girls’ perceived marital conflict were examined separately. Results indicated that the total indirect effects of threat and self-blame appraisals significantly mediated the relation between marital conflict and both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Further examination revealed that the specific indirect effects for only threat appraisals remained significant when self-blame appraisals were parceled out for both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Threat appraisals and self-blame appraisals did not differ significantly. It also was predicted that total anxiety sensitivity (AS) would mediate the relation between marital conflict and girls’ depressive, social anxiety, and anxiety symptoms, after controlling for comorbid internalizing symptoms. These hypotheses were not supported. Specific AS factors were examined together as mediators of the relations between marital conflict and girls’ specific internalizing symptoms. Results showed that only Disease Concerns emerged as a significant mediator of the relation between girls’ perceived marital conflict and girls’ anxiety symptoms, after controlling for girls’ depressive symptoms.

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Keywords

Marital conflict, Threat appraisals, Self-blame appraisals, Anxiety and depressive symptoms, Preadolescent girls, Anxiety sensitivity, Multiple mediation

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