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Parental stressful life events predict young-adult internalizing through parent–adolescent relationship quality.

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: = 23.3, 50.8% identified as female) and their parents from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Maternal- and paternal-specific structural equation models were conducted to examine the relationship between parental stressful life events in middle adolescence and internalizing symptoms in young adulthood through parent-child relationship quality while controlling for key covariates. Father-reported stressful life events during the previous year were associated with less positive father-reported father-child relationship quality during adolescence, which was associated with an increased risk for internalizing symptoms in young adulthood. Mother-reported stressful life events did not predict mother-child relationship quality in adolescence. However, mother-child relationship quality in adolescence was associated with young adult internalizing symptoms. The indirect effects linking stressful life events to internalizing symptoms through parent-child relationship quality were not significant for either mothers or fathers. These results highlight the significance of paternal stressful life events for parent-child relationship quality and the importance of father-inclusive parenting interventions that could address these dynamics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Journal of Family Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/fam0001383

Authors: Guanyu Wang, Thao Ha, Timothy Piehler

Institutions: University of Minnesota, Arizona State University

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse