Relationship between parents' child rearing style and emotion-regulation skills in adolescents: moderating role of parenting stresses

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is one of the most challenging periods in the life of humans during which the individual is faced with personal, social, occupational, and family problems as well as extensive physical and cognitive changes. Dealing with these problems and changes requires emotional regulation and management. Parents play a vital role in adolescences' coping styles with the mentioned problems and emotions. Hence, the present study aimed at examining the moderating role of parenting stress in the relationship between child rearing style and emotion regulation skills in adolescents. Methods: A correlational study was carried out. Statistical population consisted of all of adolescences in male and female schools in Tehran and their mothers in 2016. Of this population, 400 who had the inclusion criteria were selected using multistage cluster sampling method. To collect data, Parents' Stress Index, Parenting Style Questionnaire, and Emotional Regulation Checklist were used. The obtained data were analyzed using Pearson Regression Coefficient and stepwise multivariate regression. Results: In the present study, the mean age of participating adolescents and mothers were 16.55 and 38.83, respectively. Moreover, findings implied that parents' stress and authoritative parenting styles could predict 0.067 and 0.35 percentages of variances in the scores of emotional regulation in adolescences, respectively (P<0.05). Also, since R2 increased to 0.10, it can be stated that 0.135 of variance observed in emotion regulation scores gained by adolescents is explained by mediating role of parenting stress. Conclusion: Parenting stress can moderate the relationship between child rearing style and emotion regulation skills in adolescents