Career readiness: A potential pathway through which urban youth's exposure to stress influences adult health

Sarah Lindstrom Johnson, S. Darius Tandon, Tina L. Cheng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although a growing body of research provides support for the detrimental effects of stress during childhood on future adult health, less is known about how stress disrupts normal developmental processes. This pathway may be particularly relevant for urban adolescents who are exposed to additional contextual stressors. This study will longitudinally explore how psychological stress from multiple domains influences urban adolescents' career readiness. A total of 200 youth (aged 14-21 years) completed surveys assessing their school, family, neighborhood, and health stress. Path analysis using a parallel process model found that school and neighborhood stress at 6 months were significantly associated with decreased career readiness at 15 months. Health stress at baseline was related to an increased report of career readiness at 15 months, which was moderated by parental closeness. These findings suggest that experiences of stress for urban youth negatively affect their planning for the future, particularly in the absence of supportive parental relationships.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)321-337
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Community Psychology
Volume43
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2015
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Career readiness: A potential pathway through which urban youth's exposure to stress influences adult health'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this