Parent/Adolescent Relationships

Abstract

This study used longitudinal data from 517 adolescents to examine whether the associations of negative stressful events with symptoms of depression and conduct disorderwere modified by adolescents' reports of parental warmth and harsh discipline. The central questions were (a) Does a positive relationship with just one parent moderate the association of stress with symptoms? ("one good parent" hypothesis) and (b) Does a positive relationship with two parents afford more protection from stress? ("parental agreement" hypothesis). The results indicated that adolescents who reported relatively warm parenting by both mothers andfathers had a smallerassociation of stressful events with symptoms of depression as compared to other adolescents. Further; those adolescents who reported relatively harsherdiscipline by both parents had a higherassociation of stress with depressive symptoms as compared with other adolescents. Generally, there was some supportfor the parental-agreement hypothesis but notfor the one-good-parent hypothesis.