Adversity in childhood is known to have long-lasting negative effects on wellbeing across the life span. While this relationship is well-established, evidence on the potential mitigating role of parenting is scarce.
This study aimed to address this gap, with a focus on emerging adults’ social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing. It explored whether young people’s functioning during this critical life stage is influenced by their childhood adversity, and the parenting they experienced during adolescence.
A survey was taken of 298 emerging adults, aged 18–25, across Australia. The respondents represented diverse backgrounds and had experienced varying amounts of childhood adversity such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse, living with someone with a mental health condition, and witnessing domestic violence.
The results show that, unfortunately, experiencing more types of adversity during childhood is associated with greater emotional difficulties during emerging adulthood. Regardless of past adversities, however, parenting practices and parenting relationships during adolescence can be an important predictor of wellbeing in later years.
In negative effects, hostility in parent-adolescent relationships, such as frequent criticism and getting upset at disagreements, were associated with worry, sadness and self-doubt in emerging adults.
On a positive note, parent-adolescent relationships that promoted connectedness, and parenting that provided supportive monitoring of adolescents, were associated with more positive wellbeing. When parents offer adolescents encouragement, affection and open communication about ideas, activities and life, young people display more positive skills in emerging adulthood. They are better able to set goals, be independent and effectively share their thoughts and feelings.
Significantly, the benefits of supportive parenting, as well as the negative impacts of hostility, were observed to be independent of the influence of childhood adversity. This means children who experience adversity may have a greater chance of improved wellbeing when they are older if their parents use effective parenting practices and they have a high-quality parent-adolescent relationship.
Further research is needed, particularly longitudinal work following individuals from childhood to adulthood, and utilising multiple data sources. But this study offers hope that if we can increase the likelihood that vulnerable adolescents are exposed to effective parenting, they may have a better chance at healthy wellbeing as they enter the adult world.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2021.1893596