A study of the relationship between maternal stress and the frequency or severity of reported problem behavior in adolescents

This study investigated maternal stress and child behavior problems in adolescents. Existing data were collected from 50 randomly selected parents and guardians of children ages 12 to 18 years of age within the local community of a Metropolitan City. The results support three hypotheses 1) A direct relationship exits between perceived maternal support and reported problem behavior, 2) Increased levels of maternal stress are directly related to reported levels of problem behavior in adolescents, and 3) Perceived social support is inversely related to reported maternal stress levels. This research suggests a connection between maternal stress and problem behavior in adolescents. While, it does provide preliminary evidence that an increase in maternal support decreases behavior problems and an increase in maternal stress increases problem behavior in children. Further investigation is warranted