Associations between dispositional parental emotion regulation and youth mental health symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Clinical psychology review 2022-07, Vol.95, p.102174-102174, Article 102174
• Main Authors: Holzman, Jacob B.W., Kennedy, Sarah M., Grassie, Hannah L., Ehrenreich-May, Jill
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Emotion regulation; Mental health; Parent; Youth
• ISSN: 0272-7358; 1873-7811
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102174

Theoretical perspectives propose that parents' dispositional emotion regulation (ER) tendencies are likely associated with youth mental health concerns. The aim of the current study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between parental dispositional ER tendencies – both maladaptive and adaptive – and youth mental health symptoms. Regarding maladaptive parental ER, 32 unique studies (N = 6399) with 126 effects were included. A significant, small-to-moderate, effect was observed (r = 0.25) such that higher maladaptive parental ER was linked to heightened youth mental health symptoms. No differences were observed based on youth age or psychiatric risk status, yet effects were stronger when drawn from the same informant in contrast to different informants. Further, 12 studies (N = 4241) including 28 effects were identified and a significant, albeit small, relation (r = −0.16) between adaptive parental ER and youth mental health symptoms occurred. A narrative review of these studies evaluating adaptive parental ER and youth mental health symptoms was performed due to the limited number of effects found beyond parental dispositional mindfulness. These findings generally support the notion that parental dispositional ER tendencies are modestly associated with youth mental health concerns. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed. •Links between parental emotion regulation and youth mental health were analyzed.•Parental maladaptive emotion regulation tendencies were modestly linked to youth mental health symptoms.•The link between parental adaptive emotion regulation and youth mental health symptoms was significant, albeit small.•Research directions and clinical implications for addressing youth mental health are discussed.