Parental Control for Latinas and Non-Latinas: Implications for Emerging Adult Mental Health

Abstract

Objectives The overall goal of this study was to develop a stronger understanding of the role of culture in shaping the experience of parental control and its mental health implications for emerging adults. Specifically, the study focused parental psychological and behavioral control, and their potential implications for emerging adults' hopelessness and depressive symptoms. A core hypothesis is that associations of parental control with mental health would differ between Latinas and non-Latinas because of cultural differences in parental expectations and parent-child dynamics. Additionally, similarities and differences in the role of mothers' and fathers' control were explored. Methods The sample consisted of 330 female emerging adults, including 146 Latinas and 184 non-Latinas. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of parental psychological and behavioral control, of mothers and fathers separately, and mental health indicators.Results Results from path models demonstrated the relevance of mothers' psychological control for both Latinas and non-Latinas, while differential implications of mothers' behavioral control were found for Latinas and non-Latinas. In addition, mothers' psychological control appeared to be more salient than fathers' psychological control for female emerging adults' mental health. Conclusions The role of culture in the function of parental control for emerging adults' mental health is discussed.

Maternal and paternal psychological control and adolescents’ negative adjustment: A dyadic longitudinal study in three countries

“…Also, cultural beliefs likely provide a different context for thinking about the implications of paternal PC for adolescents’ adjustment. For example, an adolescent who highly identifies with the Latinx culture may view a father’s controlling style as culturally normative as a function of familismo or machismo , interpreting it as signs of love and concern [ 91 , 92 ], even if studies conducted on Latinx samples showed that this is especially the case for behavioral control (e.g., [ 93 , 94 ]). The present study’s lack of an acculturation and/or ethnic identity measure can certainly be viewed as a limitation, and future studies are needed to test these hypotheses.…”

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