The Relationship between Helicopter Parenting and Adjustment to College

Abstract

As the entry into adulthood has become delayed, parental involvement in young adults’ lives has increased. However, parental overinvolvement may have negative consequences on development. This study examined the role of helicopter parenting and its effects on anxiety, depression, self-efficacy and adjustment to college among 294 college students. It was hypothesized that students with parents who are overly controlling will have higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower levels of self-efficacy, leading to poorer college adjustment, as evidenced by grade point average, academic adjustment, and social adjustment to college. The structural model was generally supported by the data, indicating an indirect effect of helicopter parenting on college adjustment, thus confirming the importance of the relationship between healthy parenting and college student mental health and, subsequently, student success. The study also examined student preferences for parental intervention, finding that students reporting more overparenting were less likely to desire parental intervention.