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The Cultural and Developmental Significance of Parenting Processes in Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

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This study examined the cultural and developmental significance of maternal and paternal parenting processes (closeness, support, monitoring, communication, conflict, and peer approval) for measures of anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents from Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States (N=6,935). Across all cultural contexts, measures of maternal and paternal support and conflict were most consistently associated with measures of internalizing behaviors. Few differences were observed in the importance of individual parenting processes for anxiety or depression symptoms across cultures. Additionally, with the exception of maternal conflict for anxiety and depression symptoms and paternal closeness for depression symptoms, none of the parenting process dimensions differed in importance for internalizing behaviors across developmental periods (middle versus late adolescence). The investigation provides evidence of great similarity in developmental processes, both across cultural contexts and developmental periods.

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Notes

  1. We did not include the items part of the AFP in the current paper due to space consideration; however, the measure is published (Vazsonyi et al., 2003) and is available from the first author.

  2. We also conducted the same analyses without age as a covariate and found largely identical partial regression coefficients, and thus, the same findings for the comparisons between the two age groups.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The paper was presented at the Tenth Biennial Meetings of the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) held March 11–14, 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland. Research was supported in part by a grant to the first author from the Auburn University Competitive Research Grant-In-Aid Program. We would like to thank Melissa Partin for her assistance with data analyses.

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  1. Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University. Received Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1995. Current research interests include the etiology of adolescent problem behaviors (internalizing and externalizing behaviors), deviance, violence, and health compromising behaviors; criminological theory; family/parenting processes; and the cross-cultural/national comparative method to the study of human development. To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Human Development and Family Studies, 284 Spidle Hall, Auburn University, AL, 36849, USA

    Alexander T. Vazsonyi

  2. Received Ph.D. from Auburn University in 2004. Current research interests include violence prevention; program evaluation; risk and protective factors of aggression, delinquency, and adolescent problem behaviors. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Kent State University, Kent, USA

    Lara M. Belliston

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Correspondence to Alexander T. Vazsonyi.

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Vazsonyi, A.T., Belliston, L.M. The Cultural and Developmental Significance of Parenting Processes in Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Symptoms. J Youth Adolescence 35, 491–505 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9064-3

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