Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 May;52(5):1010-1023.
doi: 10.1007/s10964-022-01723-0. Epub 2023 Jan 12.

When Too Much Help is of No Help: Mothers' and Fathers' Perceived Overprotective Behavior and (Mal)Adaptive Functioning in Adolescents

İldeniz B Arslan  1 , Nicole Lucassen  2 , Loes Keijsers  2 , Gonneke W J M Stevens  3
Affiliations

When Too Much Help is of No Help: Mothers' and Fathers' Perceived Overprotective Behavior and (Mal)Adaptive Functioning in Adolescents

İldeniz B Arslan et al. J Youth Adolesc. 2023 May.

Abstract

Although parental overprotection is theorized to have lasting negative effects throughout a child's life, there is limited empirical evidence available on its long-term significance on adolescent well-being. This preregistered, three-wave longitudinal study investigated the association of maternal and paternal perceived overprotection in early adolescence with the development of (mal)adaptive psychological, academic, and social functioning throughout adolescence. Data (N = 2229; 50.7% girls) from the longitudinal TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) in the Netherlands were used (Mage T1 = 11.11, T2 = 13.57, T3 = 16.28). At T1, adolescents reported on their mothers' and fathers' overprotection. From T1 to T3 adolescents and teachers reported about internalizing problems, academic achievement, prosocial, and antisocial behavior. The results showed concurrent associations between higher levels of perceived overprotection and higher levels of internalizing problems, antisocial behaviors, and (after controlling for parental warmth and rejection) lower levels of academic achievement. Perceived overprotection was positively associated with decreased internalizing problems over time. This longitudinal association disappeared after controlling for baseline levels of internalizing problems, suggesting that this result was less robust than expected. Mothers and fathers did not differ in their associations between perceived overprotection and (mal)adaptive functioning. The findings showed that perceived overprotection is mainly concurrently associated with (mal)adaptive adolescent functioning. Future research recommendations are discussed in terms of stability and bidirectional relations.

Keywords: (Mal)Adaptive Functioning; Adolescence; Longitudinal; Parental Gender; Parental Perceived Overprotection.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Research question 1: Multivariate latent growth model of perceived parental overprotection and (the intercept and slope factor of) adolescent internalizing problems. T time. Numbers along the arrows represent factor loadings. H hypothesis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Regression coefficients from the multivariate latent growth model of perceived parental overprotection and adolescent internalizing problems (research question 1). T time. Numbers along the arrows represent factor loadings. All regression coefficients are standardized. ***p < 0.001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Achenbach TM, Rescorla LA. Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms and profiles. Burlington: University of Vermont, Research center for children, youth and families; 2001.
    1. Aluja A, Barrio VD, García LF. Do parents and adolescents differ in their perceptions of rearing styles? Analysis of the EMBU versions for parents and adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 2006;47(2):103–108. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2006.00497.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Arnett JJ. Adolescent storm and stress reconsidered. American Psychologist. 1999;54(5):317–326. doi: 10.1037//0003-066X.54.5.317. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Arnett JJ. Conceptions of the transition to adulthood: Perspectives from adolescence through midlife. Journal of Adult Development. 2001;8(2):133–143. doi: 10.1023/A:1026450103225. - DOI
    1. Arslan İB, Lucassen N, Van Lier PAC, De Haan AD, Prinzie P. Early childhood internalizing problems, externalizing problems and their co-occurrence and (mal)adaptive functioning in emerging adulthood: A 16-year follow-up study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2021;56:193–206. doi: 10.1007/s00127-020-01959-w. - DOI - PMC - PubMed