Psychopathological Symptoms and Resilience Processes among Korean Adolescents in the Context of Neighborhood Disadvantage

Abstract

Research has shown that positive family and individual contexts can prevent adolescents from developing internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, less is known about the various ways resilience occurs longitudinally, considering compensatory (i.e., additive) effects and protective (i.e., moderation) effects of contextual (external) resources and individual (internal) assets. Further, few studies have examined these resilience processes among Korean adolescents exposed to neighborhood disadvantage. In the context of neighborhood disadvantage, the present study examined the compensatory and protective effects of positive parenting and self-esteem for Korean adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms across four years. Data from Waves 1 (2010), 3 (2012), and 4 (2013) from a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents (N = 2322; Mean age at Wave 1 = 12.90; Females = 50.10%) were utilized. Evidencing compensatory effects, positive parenting (Wave 1) negatively and indirectly predicted both adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Wave 4) through their self-esteem (Wave 3), independent of the effect of neighborhood disadvantage (Wave 1). However, there were differences in the protective effects depending on symptoms. In the case of internalizing symptoms (Wave 4), positive parenting (Wave 1) indirectly buffered against neighborhood disadvantage (Wave 1) through adolescents’ self-esteem (Wave 3). In contrast, for externalizing symptoms (Wave 4), positive parenting (Wave 1) directly buffered the effect of neighborhood disadvantage (Wave 1). The present study highlights the resilience processes of positive parenting as an external resource and adolescents’ self-esteem as an internal asset for preventing internalizing and externalizing symptoms among Korean adolescents, which has implications for intervention and policy strengthening family and individual resilience.