From financial hardship to child difficulties: main and moderating effects of perceived social support D. McConnell,* R. Breitkreuz† and A. Savage* *Family and Disability Studies Initiative, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, and †Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada Accepted for publication 9 October 2010 Keywords child behaviour, financial hardship, parenting stress, social support Correspondence: Amber Savage, MSc (OT), Family and Disability Studies Initiative, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, 3-66 Corbett Hall, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2G4 E-mail: amsavage@ualberta.ca Abstract Background There is an unequivocal relationship between socio-economic status and child well-being.The Family Stress Model of economic hardship proposes that this relationship is mediated by financial hardship, parenting stress and parenting behaviours. In this study, the Family Stress Model is tested and analysis is extended to examine main and moderating effects of social support. Methods A survey incorporating well-validated measures of financial hardship, parenting stress, parenting behaviours and child difficulties was sent to 1296 parents who had utilized universal family support services in Alberta, Canada. A total of 923 parents (71%) responded. Hierarchical linear regression was employed to investigate the mediating roles of financial hardship, parenting stress and parenting behaviours, and to investigate main and moderating influences of parental social support. Results The study findings generally support the Family Stress Model. The relationship between socio-economic status and child difficulties was mediated by financial hardship and parenting stress. Higher levels of parental social support were associated with lower levels of parenting stress, ineffective parenting and child difficulties. Parental social support was important irrespective of parenting stress levels. Conclusions The study findings add to the now critical mass of data showing that parent–child health and well-being is inextricably linked with parental social support. While there is a burgeoning literature on parent training, far less research attention has been given to the development and evaluation of strategies to strengthen parents’ social relationships. This is an important direction for future research. Introduction Parenting is a complex, multi-dimensional activity influenced by multiple, interacting, intra- and inter-personal factors and environments (Belsky 1984). In turn, parenting influences vir- tually every aspect of child development, from the developing circuitry of the brain to the emergence of language and social competence (Bell & Belsky 2008; Karreman et al. 2006; Jeynes 2005; McLeod et al. 2007; Sameroff 2010; Shonkoff 2010). In this study we examined the influence and interactions between socio-economic status (SES), parental social support, parenting stress, positive and negative parenting behaviours and child difficulties. A primary focus was on the stress-buffering effects of social support. There is an unequivocal relationship between family SES and child health and well-being (Bradley & Corwyn 2002; Duncan & Magnuson 2003). Indeed, socio-economic exposures during childhood are potent predictors of health and morbidity across Child: care, health and development Original Article doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01185.x © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1