Perceptions of Support from Mothers, Fathers, and Friends: Direct and Indirect Associations with the Psychological Adjustment of Mexican-origin Girls
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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Mayra Y Bámaca-Colbert1, Emile M Tilghman-Osborne2, Sonsoles Calderón-López3
1Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, 215 Health and Human Development, University Park, PA 16802.
Abstract:
We examined the direct and indirect associations of perceived support (from mother, father, and friends) with self-esteem and depressive symptoms in an ethnic homogeneous sample of Mexican-origin adolescent girls living in the United States (N = 127, 14 to 19 years of age, 68% U.S.-born). Path analyses with structural equation modeling revealed that perceptions of support from significant others were associated with self-esteem and depressive symptoms, but associations differed by adolescent age. Moreover, perceptions of support from significant others were indirectly related to depressive symptoms via self-esteem. Regarding age differences, perceived support from mother and father figures was associated with self-esteem and depressive symptoms across adolescence. Support from friends was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and self-esteem in the expected direction among middle and late adolescents, but support from friends was negatively associated with self-esteem among early adolescents. In sum, perception of support from parents appears to be a salient correlate of Mexican-origin girls' adjustment across adolescence, whereas perception of friend support appears to be more salient for these girls later in adolescence.
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