Parental Depression and Emerging Adult Psychological Problems: Indirect Effects by Parents’ Social Support and Emerging Adult Engagement Coping

Abstract The role of parents’ social support in relation to the socialization of coping strategies in emerging adults rarely has been studied. Parental depression has been related to both internalizing and externalizing problems in children. We examined the relationships of maternal and paternal depression on emerging adult internalizing and externalizing problems through perceived parents’ social support and emerging adult engagement coping. Gender also was examined. Emerging adults (ages 18–25; N = 430) were from a large university completed survey measures on parental (i.e. maternal and paternal) and emerging adult psychopathology and coping behaviors. Parents’ social support was indirectly related to internalizing problems for both genders, whereas the indirect relationship of parents’ social support on externalizing problems was significant only in women.