Subjective well-being and parenting in adolescence: Do peers matter when things are not so good?

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Objective: The study aimed to investigate the association between adolescents’ subjective well-being and parenting, as well as the moderating role of peer relationships between the negative aspects of parenting and subjective well-being. Method: Adolescents (n = 331) attending Junior High School and High School (aged 12-18 years) in the broader area of Attica, Greece, participated in the study. Participants completed the Berne Questionnaire of Subjective Well-Being/Youth Form, the 40-item Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran Child Version (EMBU-C) questionnaire (for ages 7–16 years), and the Friendship Quality Scale. Results: There was a positive association between parental emotional warmth and adolescents’ satisfaction, as well as between parental rejection and adolescents’ ill-being. Furthermore, closeness to friends moderated the association between adolescents’ ill-being and rejection by mothers and fathers. Girls and older adolescents had higher scores in the negative factors of subjective well-being, while girls scored higher in all friendship factors. Finally, based on adolescents’ perceptions, mothers had significantly higher scores than fathers in all parenting variables. Conclusions: Findings highlight the significance of the implementation of tailored interventions in schools and families for promoting adolescents’ well-being.