Abstract
Approximately 3 million child and adolescent cases are investigated for maltreatment each year, and 75% of those cases are categorized as neglect. Parentification, a form of neglect, has emerged as an important clinical topic and focus of empirical research. Similar to the research base on neglect, the accumulated literature point toward a significant positive relation between parentification and pernicious outcomes, although nascent literature also has found a link between parentification and resiliency and select competencies. The purpose of the current study was two-fold: (a) To explore the extent to which parentification mediates the relation between parenting behaviors and depressive symptoms and well-being (as measured by negative and positive affect) in a sample of early adolescents (i.e., ages 11–14)? And, (b) to what extent does gender moderate the proposed mediation model? We found in our sample (N = 314) parentification mediated the association between parenting behaviors and depressive symptoms (negative affect) and partially mediated the relation between parenting behaviors and well-being (positive affect). In addition, gender partially moderated select mediation models. These findings may be useful in the conceptualization of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies focused on family systems and parenting interventions in families where parentification has occurred.
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Author Contributions
S.B.: collaborated on the study design, writing of the study, and editing of the final paper. L.M.H.: designed the study, assisted with the data analyses and results, and wrote the paper. S.T.: analyzed the data, wrote the results, and aided in the writing and editing of the final paper. B.C.: organized the data collection and aided in the writing and editing of the final paper. A.W.: collaborated in the writing and editing of the final paper. P.P.: collaborated on the design of the study and in the writing and editing of the final paper.
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Burton, S., Hooper, L.M., Tomek, S. et al. The Mediating Effects of Parentification on the Relation Between Parenting Behavior and Well-Being and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents. J Child Fam Stud 27, 4044–4059 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1215-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1215-0