Parenting Style in Single-parent Family Influence on the Development of Adolescent Depression

Abstract

Parenting styles have been shown through empirical studies to be a central determinant in the depression of youth throughout the past decades. This review examines the two most dominant negative parenting styles in single-parent families and explores how single parents with two negative parenting styles contribute to adolescent depression. Based on the special economic constraints and excessive parenting responsibilities, single parents are apt to adopt authoritarian parenting and neglect parenting styles, in which authoritarian parenting styles presenting restrictive rules and harsh punishments will lead to low-level parenting self-esteem and high levels of emotional disturbances for teenagers. Also, neglectful parenting styles which are characterized by fewer parental involvements will significantly impair the adolescents disability to express and manage emotions. The conclusion is that authoritarian parenting style and neglectful parenting style negatively influence adolescent depression in single-parent families. This review provides a perspective on the impact of single-parent family background on adolescent depression. Future research should focus on how to help parents develop appropriate parenting styles to decrease the risks of suffering depression for adolescents.