Maternal affect and youth psychopathology: The role of mother-adolescent affect congruency

Maternal affect contributes to children’s psychosocial adjustment. How maternal daily affect intensity and dynamics (i.e., inertia and variability) are associated with adolescents’ concurrent and later psychopathological symptoms, however, remains unclear. This preregistered study examined (1) associations of maternal day-to-day positive and negative affect intensity, inertia, and variability with adolescent and young adult psychopathological symptoms, and (2) moderating effects of mother-adolescent affect congruency on these associations. Mother-adolescent dyads (N=488) reported positive and negative affect in 75 daily assessments across ages 13-17 years. Adolescents rated their psychopathological symptoms at ages 14-18, 20, and 27 years. Maternal daily affect intensity and inertia, but not variability, were associated with adolescent psychopathological symptoms. Higher mother-adolescent affect congruency was associated with fewer psychopathological symptoms and reflected resilience against adverse effects of maternal affect inertia. While both maternal affect intensity and dynamics play a role in adolescents’ psychopathology, promoting mother-adolescent affect congruency might benefit adolescents’ adjustment.