Trajectories of Perceived Parental Psychological Control Across Adolescence and Implications for the Development of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms

Overview

Journal J Youth Adolesc

Specialties Pediatrics
Psychology
Social Sciences

Date 2019 Jul 6

PMID 31273602

Citations 21

Authors

Adam A Rogers

Laura M Padilla-Walker

Ryan D McLean

Jeffrey L Hurst

Affiliations

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Abstract

Theory and research indicate considerable changes in parental control across adolescence (e.g., declining behavioral control), but the developmental course and significance of psychological control remains largely unknown. This study examined trajectories of adolescents' reports of mothers' and fathers' psychological control from ages 12 to 19, predictors of occupying distinct trajectories, and the developmental significance of these trajectories for adolescents' development of depressive and anxiety symptoms. It used eight waves of survey data on 500 adolescents (M = 11.83, SD = 1.03; 52% female; 67% White, 12% African American) and their parents from the Pacific Northwest United States. Most adolescents (about 90%) reported low but increasing levels of parental psychological control over time, with a small but significant subset (about 10%) perceiving perpetually elevated levels. Mothers' (but not fathers') depressive symptoms, reported at the age 12 assessment, predicted adolescents' membership in the elevated psychological control trajectory. Adolescents occupying these elevated trajectories showed more problematic growth in depressive and anxiety symptoms across adolescence. Taken together, the findings suggest that many adolescents experience increased parental psychological control as they age, and that variability in these trends indicates individual differences in their development of depressive and anxiety symptoms over time.

Citing Articles

Parental Psychological Control and Interpersonal Trust in Junior High School Students: Serial Mediating Roles of Shyness and Interpersonal Self-Support.

Zhao H, Wan L, Li Y, Zhang M, Zhao C Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2024; 17:4087-4104.

PMID: 39650087 PMC: 11622682. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S478008.

Family obligation moderates longitudinal associations between parental psychological control and adjustment of urban adolescents.

Dizon L, Pena Alampay L Int J Behav Dev. 2024; 48(5):411-421.

PMID: 39184345 PMC: 11343579. DOI: 10.1177/01650254241233532.

Longitudinal Associations among Psychological Control, Positive and Negative Interactions, and Adolescents' Domain-Specific Disclosure to Parents.

Song G, Smetana J J Youth Adolesc. 2024; 53(11):2642-2653.

PMID: 38977633 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02050-2.

Discrepancies in Parent-Child Perception of Parental Control and Associations with Children's Anxiety: The Buffering Effect of Parent-Child Closeness.

Zhai M, Gao W, Feng Y, Jian J, Xu F J Youth Adolesc. 2024; 54(1):76-91.

PMID: 38937330 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02038-y.

Trajectories of Perceived Parental Psychological Control and the Longitudinal Associations with Chinese Adolescents' School Adjustment across High School Years.

Zhou H, Liu J, Deng C J Youth Adolesc. 2024; 53(9):2060-2079.

PMID: 38740644 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-01995-8.

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