Associations between Mothers' Experiences with the Troubles in Northern Ireland and Mothers' and Childrens' Psychological Functioning: The Moderating Role of Social Identity.

C.E. Merrilees, Mary Cairns, M.C. Goeke-Morey, A.C. Schermerhorn, Peter Shirlow, E.M. Cummings

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Relatively little research has examined the relations between growing up in a community with a history of protracted violent political conflict and subsequent generations' well-being. The current article examines relations between mothers' self-report of the impact that the historical political violence in Northern Ireland (known, as the Troubles) has on her and her child's current mental health. These relations are framed within the social identity model of stress, which provides a framework for understanding coping responses within societies that have experienced intergroup conflict. Mother-child dyads (N = 695) living in Belfast completed interviews. Results suggest that the mother-reported impact of the Troubles continue to be associated with mothers' mental health, which, in, turn, is associated with her child's adjustment. The strength of mothers' social identity moderated pathways between the impact of the Troubles and her mental health, consistent with the social identity model of stress. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)60-75
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Community Psychology
Volume39
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology

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