The Integrative Influence of Parental Involvement and Parenting Style on Adolescent Psychological Adjustment.

Abstract

The contextual parenting perspective in the integrative model of parenting emphasizes the combined impact of parental involvement (process) and parenting style (context) on adolescent psychological adjustment. The primary goal of this study was to identify distinct patterns of parental involvement and parenting styles. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the long-term predictive impacts of these parenting profiles on adolescent psychological adjustments. A longitudinal survey was conducted in mainland China with 930 intact families, including fathers, mothers, and adolescents. Latent profile analysis was employed to classify parenting profiles based on standardized scores of parental involvement and parenting styles (warmth and rejection) at Time (1) Six months later, a regression mixture model was utilized to assess how these parenting profiles influenced adolescent psychological adjustment at Time (2) Three classes best characterized the profiles of parental involvement and parenting style at Time 1: warm-involved parenting (49.1%, N = 457), average parenting (39.6%, N = 368), and rejecting-involved parenting (11.3%, N = 105). Compared to adolescents in the other two groups, adolescents in the warm-involved parenting profile scored lowest on anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and short-form video addiction at Time 2. Moreover, adolescents in warm-involved group scored highest on self-compassion, and compassion for others at Time 2. Adolescents in the warm-involved group adjusted best. Intervention programs aimed at improving adolescents' mental health should integrate both parental involvement and parenting style, recognizing their combined influence on developmental outcomes.