Longitudinal Association between Maternal Autonomy Support and Controlling Parenting and Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms

• Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence 2023-05, Vol.52 (5), p.1058-1073
• Main Authors: Tanaka, Ayumi, Tamura, Ayame, Ishii, Ryo, Ishikawa, Shin-ichi, Nakazato, Naoki, Ohtani, Kazuhiro, Sakaki, Michiko, Suzuki, Takashi, Murayama, Kou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent mothers; Autonomy; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child; Child and School Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Depression - psychology; Empirical Research; Family roles; Female; Health Psychology; History of Psychology; Humans; Law and Psychology; Male; Mental depression; Mother-Child Relations - psychology; Mothers - psychology; Parent-child relations; Parenting - psychology; Parents & parenting; Perceptions; Personal Autonomy; Psychological needs; Psychology; Teenagers; Well being
• ISSN: 0047-2891; 1573-6601; 1573-6601
• DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01722-1

Most studies on autonomy support and controlling parenting rely on children’s perceptions, despite the limitations of this approach. This study investigated congruency between autonomy support and controlling parenting reported by mothers and adolescents and their association with adolescents’ depressive symptoms via basic psychological needs satisfaction. Participants included 408 Japanese mother–adolescent ( M age  = 13.73, SD  = 0.90, 52% female) pairs who completed a questionnaire at two time points four months apart. Results demonstrated low to moderate levels of mother–adolescent agreement. Cross-lagged regression models revealed that mothers’ reported autonomy support positively predicted adolescents’ basic psychological needs satisfactions, which was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. The independent roles of parenting reported by mothers and adolescents for adolescents’ well-being were discussed.