Moderating the Association Between Overparenting and Mental Health: Open Family Communication and Emerging Adult Children’s Trait Autonomy

Abstract

Research shows that overparenting (a.k.a. helicopter parenting) is associated with many child issues, among which disrupted mental health is one of the most consistently observed. The present study aims to examine if open family communication and child trait autonomy alter the associations between overparenting and emerging adult children's general self-efficacy, environmental mastery, anxiety, and depression. Cross-sectional data were collected from college students (N = 442, M age = 20.28 years, SD = 1.48) in the United States. Results showed that open family communication strengthened the negative association between overparenting and environmental mastery, and trait autonomy weakened the negative association between overparenting and general self-efficacy. None of these two moderators altered the associations between overparenting and child anxiety and depression. The effects of open family communication and trait autonomy in a controlling context are discussed. Overall, notwithstanding the moderation effects observed from open family communication and trait autonomy, the findings suggest that the effects of overparenting might be difficult to buffer.

Factors influencing parent-child relationships in chinese nurses: a cross-sectional study

“…Through analysis, family adaptability was found to be the most important predictor of parent-child relationships, which is supported by the results obtained in previous studies [ 44 , 45 ]. Stronger family adaptability would reduce authoritative behavior, fostering an open and harmonious family atmosphere that facilitates the making of joint decisions and participation in family affairs [ 45 ] In contrast, both parents that are too tolerant or have a strong desire for control can lead to children experiencing lower levels of family satisfaction and even psychological problems, indirectly affecting the maintenance of parent-child relationships [ 46 , 47 ]. To promote and maintain balance within the family system, Olson & Gorall (2003) emphasized the importance of communication in the promotion of family adaptability, allowing family members to negotiate stability and change in a functional way [ 48 ].…”