Parental Bonding and Children's Psychopathology: A Transgenerational View Point.

Alessia Raffagnato,Eleonora Sale,Michela Gatta,Rachele Fasolato,Caterina Angelico,Marina Miscioscia

doi:10.3390/children8111012

Abstract

Literature confirmed parental bonding as one of key factors influencing offspring’s psychopathology; the present study aimed to investigate, with a case-control study, the relationship between parental bonding and psychopathology in an Italian adolescent sample. The clinical sample was composed of 64 adolescents from 12 to 18 years old (Mage 15.00; S.D. 1.70) attending a Neuropsychiatric Unit of Veneto; the non-clinical sample was composed of 61 adolescents, from 13 to 18 years old (Mage 14.80; S.D. 1.32) attending middle and high school in the province of Padua and Pesaro (Italy); their parents (mothers and fathers) were also involved. In the study, self-reported tests were administered (Parental Bonding Instrument, Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self Report). Our study confirmed a correlation between parental bonding and adolescent psychopathology: dysfunctional parenting styles (characterized by low care and high control) were more frequent among cases in contrast to controls. An effect of gender also appeared. In the Italian adolescent clinical sample, parental bonding, especially low parental care, was correlated to the emergence of psychopathology.

Highlights

We evaluated the distribution of parental bonding in cases and in controls, applying a chi-square test
We grouped the participants on the basis of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) score, identifying four groups, and applying a Chi-square test we evaluated the distribution of parental bonding defined through the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI)
We confirmed dated studies concerning the correlation between psychopathology and parental bonding in adolescence, and we pointed out that it could be more important in the female gender

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Mental health problems affect 10–20% of children and adolescents worldwide [1]. A wider Italian prevalence study used the PrISMA study, and found that 9.8% Interval (CI) 8.8–10.8%) (Child Behavior Checklist caseness) or the 8.2% (CI 4.2–12.8%). (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders-fourth edition disorders) of Italian pre-adolescents met psychopathologist criterions [2]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion