Negative Parent-child Relationships Research Articles

Mediating effects of child schema mode in the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior in college students

This study was aimed to investigate the psychological mechanisms underlying non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. For this purpose, we hypothesized that dysfunctional child modes act as a psychological mechanism to influence the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and current cognitions (catastrophizing), emotions (emotional dysregulation and depression), and behaviors (non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors). A sample of 430 college students (male 97, female 333) with experience of non-suicidal self-injurious behavior was selected to test the multi-mediation effects of child schema mode (angry, impulsive), catastrophizing, emotional dysregulation, and depression on the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and non-suicidal self-injury. As a result of structural equation modeling analysis, it was found that negative parent-child relationships in childhood directly influenced child schema mode, catastrophizing, depression, and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors. In addition, it was found that negative parent-child relationships in childhood were dually mediated by child schema mode and depression and child schema mode and emotional dysregulation. The present study highlights the mediating role of child schema modes as a psychological mechanism underlying the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. Based on these findings, the usefulness and direction of schema therapy interventions in the field of non-suicidal self-injury counseling are discussed.

Good parent-child relationship protects against alcohol use in maltreated adolescent females carrying the MAOA-uVNTR susceptibility allele.

Risk-allele carriers of a Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene, short-allele (MAOA-S) in males and long-allele (MAOA-L) in females, in the presence of a negative environment, are associated with alcohol misuse. Whether MAOA-S/L alleles also present susceptibility to a positive environment to mitigate the risk of alcohol misuse is unknown. Thus, we assessed the association of the three-way interaction of MAOA, maltreatment, and positive parent-child relationship with alcohol consumption among adolescents. This prospective study included 1416 adolescents (females: 59.88%) aged 16 - 19 years from Sweden, enrolled in the "Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland" in 2012. Adolescents self-reported alcohol consumption, maltreatment by a family (FM) or non-family member (NFM), parent-child relationship, and left saliva for MAOA genotyping. We observed sex-dependent results. Females carrying MAOA-L with FM or NFM and a good parent-child relationship reported lower alcohol consumption than those with an average or poor parent-child relationship. In males, the interactions were not significant. Results suggest MAOA-L in females, conventionally regarded as a "risk", is a "plasticity" allele as it is differentially susceptible to negative and positive environments. Results highlight the importance of a good parent-child relationship in mitigating the risk of alcohol misuse in maltreated individuals carrying genetic risk. However, the interactions were not significant after adjusting to several environmental and behavioural covariates, especially parent's alcohol use, negative parent-child relationship, and nicotine use (smoking and/or snus), suggesting predictor and outcome intersection. Future studies and frameworks for preventive strategies should consider these covariates together with alcohol consumption. More studies with larger sample sizes are needed to replicate the findings.

Stepfamily Variation in Parent-Child Relationship Quality in Later Life.

We use a family systems approach to examine how stepfamily structure is associated with both positive and negative parent-child relationships while considering mothers' and fathers' discrepant reports. Two in five older couples with children are in stepfamilies. Past research on later-life stepfamily dynamics has focused mainly on positive aspects of relationships and compared reports of mothers and fathers from different families. Using the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, we estimated multilevel models with data from married couples in which both spouses reported living children and answered all questions about positive and negative parent-child relationships (N = 2,150). Couples in stepfamilies reported less positive and more negative relationships with their children than did couples in non-stepfamilies. Mothers reported more positive relationships than fathers, but there was no gender difference in reports of negative relationships. The patterns of perceived parent-child relationships and divergent reports between mothers and fathers also varied by stepfamily structure. Structural complexity was not consistently related to positive or negative relationships. This study underscores the importance of considering mothers' and fathers' different points of view in the same family and examining both positive and negative parent-child interactions as negative relationships are not merely the reverse of positive relationships.

EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AND PARENTS' COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY, EMOTION REGULATION SKILLS

This study aims to examine the parent-child relationship of the parents having primary education level students in the context of parents' cognitive flexibility level and emotion regulation skills. The participants of the research consist of parents who live in Kartal district of İstanbul and have students of primary education. The sample consists of 203 student's parents who have these characteristics. In the study, "personal information form", "parent-child relationship scale", "cognitive flexibility inventory" and "emotion regulation difficulty scale" were used for parents. In this study, the relational survey model which is one of the quantitative research types was used. As a result of the research it was determined that the level of positive parent-child relationship is high, the level of negative parent-child relationship is low, the level of emotion regulation difficulty of the parents is low, the level of cognitive flexibility is high. It was also determined that the level of cognitive flexibility showed significant differences according to the number of children, and parents with one child had a higher level of cognitive flexibility than parents with more than one child. In addition, it was determined that the negative parent-child relationship showed significant differences according to education level, and the level of negative parent-child relationship was higher in parents who graduated from higher education compared to parents who graduated from high school. At the same time, a positive relationship was determined between the level of cognitive flexibility in the parents and the positive parent-child relationship, and a negative relationship between the negative parent-child relationship was determined. Finally, it was determined that there is a negative correlation between the level of emotion regulation difficulty and positive parent-child relationships and a significant positive correlation between negative parent-child relationships.

Does Anger Expression Mediate the Relationship Between Parental Rejection and Direct and Indirect Forms of Non-suicidal Self-injury?

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the intentional destruction of one’s own body without an intent to die (e.g., self-cutting). On the other hand, indirect forms of self-injury refer to behaviors in which people harm themselves in an indirect way (e.g., substance use). Existing literature suggests that a negative parent–child relationship may increase vulnerability to NSSI and indirect forms of self-injury. However, little is known about the potential mediators that intervene in the aforementioned relationship. Therefore, the present work tests a path model to investigate whether the manner of anger expression—anger-in (redirect anger inwardly) or anger-out (express anger outwardly)—mediates the association between parental rejection and direct (specifically self-cutting) and indirect (specifically substance use) forms of self-injury in a cross-sectional sample of Italian adolescents. We assessed self-injury, parental acceptance/rejection, and the expression of anger using self-report questionnaires in 2464 high school students, aged 13–20 years (Mage = 15.93, SD = 1.49). Additionally, characteristics of NSSI were also assessed using semi-structured interviews. We found that parental rejection was significantly positively associated with both self-cutting and substance use. The aforementioned relationship was mediated through anger-in for self-cutting, and through anger-out for substance use. The current work demonstrated that anger expression might work as a bridge between invalidating caregiving environment (i.e., rejecting), in which an individual feels unloved and uncared for, and the occurrence of self-cutting and substance use. The salient role of anger management in the development of prevention and intervention programs for NSSI and indirect self-injury among adolescents is discussed.

Exploring Children's Creative Self-Efficacy Affected by After-School Program and Parent-Child Relationships.

This study aimed to verify the relationship among children’s creative self-efficacy, parenting style, parent–child relationship, and after-school program. Judgmental sampling was used for subject selection from Taiwan. There are 550 valid participants composed of elementary school to junior high school students; their data were put into the statistical process. The multiple regression analysis was applied in this study. The survey tool was developed based on literature review and related articles. Research result supported the idea that the after-school program was the most significant variable that affected the student’s creative self-efficacy. The “punitive discipline” and “autonomy support” of parenting style can affect positive parent–child relationships as well as students’ creative self-efficacy. Evidence supported the notion that “negative parent–child relationships” will not motivate students’ creative self-efficacy. Besides, the after-school program plays an important role in the students’ creative self-efficacy independently.

Parental technoference and smartphone addiction in Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of social sensitivity and loneliness

Abstract Technology devices are ubiquitous in people’s lives and can interfere with parent–child interactions. This parental technoference is related to negative parent–child relationships and increased child behavior problems. The present study examined the relationship between parental technoference and adolescent smartphone addiction as well as the roles of social sensitivity and loneliness. A sample of 3051 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.08 years, SD = 0.89) responded to the anonymous questionnaires regarding covariates, parental technoference, social sensitivity, loneliness, and smartphone addiction. Results indicated that parental technoference could positively predict adolescent smartphone addiction tendency. In addition, social sensitivity and loneliness mediated the association between parental technoference and adolescent smartphone addiction in both parallel and sequential fashion. Specifically, it suggested that parental technoference could lead to higher social sensitivity and loneliness, which in turn resulted in increased adolescent smartphone addiction tendency. The present study contributes to a better understanding of how parental technoference increases the risk of smartphone addiction and also provides important theoretical and practical implications.

Relationships between Korean parents’ marital satisfaction, parental satisfaction, and parent–child relationship quality

Research about parental marital satisfaction and parent–child relationships is well established, but the effects of marital satisfaction on parental satisfaction require more explanation in a Korean sample. In total, 2,070 participants (51.0% mothers, 49.0% fathers) from a nationally representative sample of Korean people were selected from the 2015 Fact-Finding Survey in Families, and structural equation modeling was performed to examine the relationships between marital satisfaction, parent–child relational quality, and parental satisfaction. In support of the spillover hypothesis, marital satisfaction was significantly correlated with parental satisfaction and affected it directly and indirectly via positive and negative parent–child relationship quality. In addition, mediational pathways differed according to sex. The implications of the findings and directions for future research were discussed.

Social media use and parent-child relationship: A cross-sectional study of adolescents.

We examined the association between social media use and parent-child relationship quality and tested whether this association is independent of total screen time. Data on 9,732 students (48.4% female) aged 11-20 years were obtained from a provincially representative school-based survey. Heavy use of social media (daily use of more than 2 hr) was associated with greater odds of negative relationships between mother-daughter (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27-2.52), father-daughter (OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.16-2.09), father-son (OR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.58-3.05) but not mother-son (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.88-1.55). Results were similar after further adjusting for total screen time. There were no significant associations between regular use of social media (2 hr or less) and parent-child relationships. These findings suggest that heavy use of social media is associated with negative parent-child relationships. Longitudinal research is necessary to disentangle the pathways between social media useand the parent-child relationship.

Identifying the evidence relevant to the proposed prohibition of the physical punishment of children and young people in Scotland: a systematic approach

BackgroundLegislation permitting the physical punishment of children and young people is incompatible with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2017, the Scottish Government consulted on a Bill to safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people ensuring that they were as equally protected from assault as adults by ending the legal position that physical punishment could be justified. NHS Health Scotland submitted a response to this consultation that was informed by robust evidence, which we report here. MethodsWe adopted a systematic approach to identify evidence in response to nine consultation questions. Questions included consideration of: the advantages, disadvantages, and sustainability of giving children and young people equal protection by prohibiting all physical punishment; and costs and benefits to children and professionals and the impact on individuals protected by the 2010 Equality Act. To augment the evidence presented in a 2015 systematic review by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, we searched Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, IBSS, ASSIA, Sociological Abstracts, Social Service Abstracts, and Proquest Public Health databases to identify studies conducted in developed countries that were published in English between Jan 1, 2015, and June 1, 2017. Keywords used were child, young person, smack, slap, hit, spank, corporal punishment, and physical discipline. Two authors independently reviewed abstracts. Findings880 articles were identified, of which 33 were considered. 19 of them were of sufficient quality to provide impartial evidence about the impact of physical punishment on children and young people. The 2015 systematic review showed that a parent's right to physically punish their child was outdated, potentially harmful, and an ineffective parenting strategy. A 2016 meta-analysis found no evidence that parental spanking was associated with improved child behaviour but was associated with an increased risk of negative health outcomes (eg, aggression, antisocial behaviour, externalising and internalising behaviour problems, mental health problems, negative parent–child relationships, impaired cognitive ability, low self-esteem, and risk of physical abuse). There was no evidence that spanking was only associated with negative outcomes when it was combined with physical abuse nor that spanking was only associated with negative outcomes in studies appraised as being methodologically weak. InterpretationProtecting children and young people from physical punishment is an important public health issue that is supported by robust evidence. FundingNone.

The influence of family factors on time to suicidal ideation onsets during the adolescent developmental period

Family factors are associated with suicidal behavior in youth, but little is known about how the joint influence of multiple family factors prospectively predicts onsets of suicidal ideation (SI) in adolescence, a developmental period characterized by increases in SI and risk for suicide. This study investigated whether parent history of SI interacted with either positive or negative parent-child relationship quality to longitudinally predict time to SI onsets during the transition into and across adolescence. Specifically, we used a longitudinal, multi-wave design and survival analyses to examine whether the interaction between these family factors prospectively predicted time to emergence of SI onsets (assessed at 6 month intervals over 3 years) in a community sample of youth ages 8 to 15 (N = 238; 57% girls). Results supported an interaction effect, such that more negative relationship quality with parents predicted earlier emergence of SI among those youth whose parents had no history of SI. However, negative parent relationship quality did not amplify risk among youth with parent history of SI; all youth with a parent history of SI were more likely to experience earlier emergence of SI regardless of level of negative relationship quality. Findings did not support an interaction between low levels of parent-child positive relationship quality and parent history of ideation. Implications for the role of family factors in the etiology and prevention of SI are discussed.

The Interdependence of Relationships with Adult Children and Spouses

Notable shifts in life expectancy over the past century have brought many changes in family ties, including longer parent-child and marital relationships. Enduring family ties are characterized by new expectations and potential sources of support as well as conflicts among family members (Clarke, Preston, Raksin, & Bengtson, 1999; Fingerman, 1996; Shaw, Krause, Chatters, Connell, & Ingersoll-Dayton, 2004). These relationships are not static features of individuals' lives; instead, they change over time, as individuals age and as they face challenges throughout life (Umberson & Reczek, 2007). Indeed, life course perspectives emphasize the importance of linked lives, including that relationships with children interact with and influence the relationship between parents as they age (Elder, Johnson, & Crosnoe, 2003). This has led researchers to examine the interrelatedness of parent-child and spousal relationships.Research on family relationships in adulthood highlights their importance for individual well-being. Studies of marital relationships have consistently found that a satisfying marriage is associated with well-being and successful aging for middle-aged individuals (Ko, Berg, Butner, Uchino, & Smith, 2007; McNulty & Fincham, 2012). In addition, researchers have found that parent-child relationships have important implications for the well-being of middle-aged parents (Birditt, Fingerman, & Zarit, 2010; Greenfield & Marks, 2006; Fingerman, Pitzer, Lefkowitz, Birditt, & Mroczek, 2008). Despite the emphasis on both parent-child and marital relationships once children reach adulthood, little work has explored how these relationships are associated at this stage of family development. Using data from the Family Exchange Study (Fingerman, Miller, Birditt, & Zarit, 2009), in the present study we examined the interdependence of marital satisfaction and parent-child relationships with adult children.Family Systems as a Framework for Understanding Family ProcessesFamily systems theory posits that marital and parent-child relationships are important subsystems, each of which influences the other (Belsky, 1981; Cox & Paley, 1997; Minuchin, 1985). In recent decades, several processes have been proposed to explain how each of these subsystems influences the other (Engfer, 1988; Erel & Burman, 1995; Fauchier & Margolin, 2004; Umberson, 1992).The spillover hypothesis suggests that affect or behavior transfers directly from one relationship to the other within a family system (Easterbrooks & Emde, 1988). The transfer occurs in the same valence, such that negative affect in one subsystem is linked to negative affect in another. For example, one's own negative mood or affect carries over and increases the negative mood in other relationships (Cowan, Cowan, Heming, & Miller, 1991; Fauchier & Margolin, 2004). Conversely, warm and affectionate relationships between parents and children are associated with higher marital satisfaction (Easterbrooks & Emde, 1988). Indeed, previous research has found that families with more marital conflict tend to have more negative parent-child relationships, whereas parents in more affectionate marriages tend to maintain positive relations with their children and give their children more approval and affection (Grych, 2002; Miller, Cowan, Cowan, Hetherington, & Clingempeel, 1993). In addition, research has shown that a good parent-child relationship is associated with a couple's relationship quality (Carlson, Pilkauskas,McLanahan, & Brooks-Gunn, 2011; Nomaguchi & Milkie, 2003). Most studies on this topic, however, have focused on relatively young parents with young children.An alternate view is the compensatory hypothesis, which proposes that a transfer between subsystems in a family occurs in the opposite valence; that is, for example, when the marital subsystem boundary is not maintained, parent-child coalitions form and marital dysfunction ensues (Engfer, 1988; Minuchin, 1985). …

Family Relations, Stress, and Vulnerability: Biobehavioral Implications for Prevention and Practice

AbstractDevelopmental psychobiology research supports the hypothesis that individual differences in biological stress systems that are sensitive to environmental experiences are associated with individual adjustment problems. Negative social experiences, especially in family contexts, contribute to the dysregulation of set‐points and thresholds of biological stress reactivity that affects long‐term adaptation and adjustment. The goal of this review is to discuss the current findings on how negative parent–child relationships affect the biological stress system. The authors also highlight the importance of family‐based prevention and intervention to decouple links between the psychobiology of the stress response and adjustment problems. They discuss how including indicators of the biological stress system, such as cortisol and salivary alpha amylase, can be useful for family practitioners and researchers.

Depression among Migrant and Left-Behind Children in China in Relation to the Quality of Parent-Child and Teacher-Child Relationships.

The objective of this study was to examine rates of depression among migrant children (MC) and left-behind children (LBC) as compared to non-left-behind children (NLBC) and also to examine the relationship between depression among these children and the quality of their parent-child and teacher-child relationships. This study collected data from a large sample of 3,759 children aged from 8 to 17 years, including 824 who had been left behind by one parent (LBCO), 423 who had been left behind by both parents (LBCB), 568 MC and 1944 NLBC. Children’s Depression Inventory–Short Form was used to measure child depression. Parent-Child Relationship Scale (PCRS) and Teacher-Child Relationship Scale (TCRS) were used to measure the quality of parent-child and teacher-child relationships, respectively. The results showed that the prevalence of depression was 10.5% among NLBC, 13.1% among LBCO, 16.1% among LBCB, and 20.1% among MC. Depression was related to parent-child relationship quality and teacher-child relationship quality. Negative parent-child relationship was more relevant to depression than negative teacher-child relationship among LBCB, while negative teacher-child relationship was the most correlated with depression among MC.

Adolescent neurodevelopment of cognitive control and risk-taking in negative family contexts

Adolescents have an increased need to regulate their behavior as they gain access to opportunities for risky behavior; however, cognitive control systems necessary for this regulation remain relatively immature. Parents can impact their adolescent child's abilities to regulate their behavior and engagement in risk taking. Since adolescents undergo significant neural change, negative parent–child relationship quality may impede or alter development in prefrontal regions subserving cognitive control. To test this hypothesis, 20 adolescents completed a Go/NoGo task during two fMRI scans occurring 1year apart. Adolescents reporting greater family conflict and lower family cohesion showed longitudinal increases in risk-taking behavior, which was mediated by longitudinal increases in left VLPFC activation during cognitive control. These results underscore the importance of parent–child relationships during early adolescence, and the neural processes by which cognitive control may be derailed and may lead to increased risk taking.

Heterogeneity of Relational Backgrounds is Associated With Variation in Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behavior.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a self-destructive behavior of common prevalence in adolescence and young adulthood. Engagement in NSSI has been consistently linked in the literature with perceptions of one's parent-child relationships as negative or invalidating. However, the potential for multiple combinations of such relational characteristics to be associated with varying cognitive and behavioral manifestations of NSSI remains uninvestigated. In the current study, a person-centered approach to studying perceived parent-child relationship quality and NSSI was adopted; functions and behavioral severity of NSSI were then compared across the different relational profiles created. A latent profile analysis in a sample of 264 self-injuring university students (205 females; m(age) = 19.37 years, sd = 1.50) revealed four distinct profiles, two characterized by negative parent-child perceptions and two by positive parent-child perceptions. The perceived relational dimensions of these profiles were unique compared to a parallel group of 264 non-self-injurers (207 females; m(age) = 19.27 years, sd = 1.33). Participants reporting negative parent-child relationships endorsed more severe NSSI, and engaged in NSSI to regulate aggressive emotions. In contrast, individuals reporting positive parent-child relationships engaged in less extreme manifestations of NSSI overall, suggesting lower psychological deficits. Findings suggest that, although not all self-injurers perceive their relationships with parents negatively, variation in the perception of relational quality is implicated in behavioral and cognitive variation in NSSI engagement.

Configurations of Adolescents' Peer Experiences: Associations With Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Parental Problem Behavior.

Adolescents' peer experiences embrace behavior, relationship quality, status, and victimization, but studies that account for multiple dimensions are rare. Using latent profile modeling and measures of peer behavior, relationship quality, peer status, and victimization assessed from 1,677 adolescents, four profiles were identified: High Quality, Low Quality, Low Quality Victimized, and Deviant Peers. Multinomial logistic regressions showed that negative parent-child relationships in preadolescence reduced the likelihood of High Quality peer relations in mid-adolescence but only partly differentiated between the other three profiles. Moderation by gender was partly found with girls showing greater sensitivity to parent-child relationship quality with respect to peer experiences. Results underline the multifaceted nature of peer experiences, and practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Technology-Based Interpersonal Victimization

The objective of this study was to identify factors that could predict youth's future technology-based interpersonal victimization and the pattern of that future victimization over time. Data from Growing up With Media, a national, longitudinal, online study were analyzed. At baseline, participants (N = 1,018) were 10- to 15-year-old English speakers who had used the Internet at least once in the last 6 months. Twenty-nine percent reported repeat technology-based interpersonal victimization over a 2-year period (re-victimized group); 10% were victims during only Year 1 (desisted victimized group); and 17% reported victimization during only Year 2 (later victimized group). Of the individual risk factors examined, prior technology-based interpersonal victimization and current amount of Internet use had the strongest overall associations with pattern of technology-based interpersonal victimization over the subsequent 2-year period. There was substantial overlap among the individual risk factors. Thus, they could be thought of more simply in terms of four latent risk and three individual risk factors. On average, across these seven risk factors, repeat victims had the greatest average risk score (0.21) and the not victimized group had the lowest (-0.16). Repeat victims were more likely to be female and older and had more prior experience with problem behaviors, substance use, and negative parent-child relationships as compared with the other three groups. Being female, prior experience with problem behavior, prior substance use, and prior negative parent-child relationships were also associated with frequency of technology-based interpersonal victimization in the near (Year 1) and more distant (Year 2) future. Many of these risk factors related to technology-based victimization over time are malleable, suggesting opportunities for effective targeting of future prevention efforts.

How Variations in Parents’ Use of Confrontive and Coercive Control Relate to Variations in Parent–Adolescent Conflict, Adolescent Disclosure, and Parental Knowledge: Adolescents’ Perspective

Benefits and drawbacks of parental control exercised in relation to adolescents continue to be debated in socialization research with greater emphasis being placed on the benefits of parental autonomy-granting than parental control. We examined the relations between maternal and paternal control and parent–adolescent conflict frequency and intensity as well as parental knowledge of adolescent activities and adolescents’ disclosure of their activities to parents. Adolescents in grades 10 and 12 were interviewed about parenting practices their parents employed when regulating 18 adolescent activities. Thirty-seven parenting practices emerged from which authoritarian, directive, authoritative, democratic, and unengaged parenting clusters were derived. Adolescents whose mothers and fathers were classified as directive or authoritative reported less conflict with parents, more disclosure to parents, and more parental knowledge than adolescents whose mothers and fathers were classified as authoritarian. Coercive control practices of authoritarian parents as well as nondemanding practices of unengaged parents and to some extent of democratic parents were related to more negative parent–child relationship indicators than was the extensive use of firm/confrontive control (rational-demanding) by directive parents or authoritative parents. Evidence herein supports the conclusion that even for middle and late adolescents, parental control that is rational and firm is related to beneficial parent–child relationship qualities. Therefore, practitioners should underscore the importance of continued parental control during adolescence not just of autonomy-granting.

The parent-child relationship and adolescent alcohol use: a systematic review of longitudinal studies.

BackgroundAlcohol use among adolescents has become a major public health problem in the past decade and has large short- and long-term consequences on their health. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of longitudinal cohort studies that have analyzed the association between the parent–child relationship (PCR) and change in alcohol use during adolescence.MethodsA search of the literature from 1985 to July 2011 was conducted in Medline, PsycINFO, and EMBASE in order to identify longitudinal, general population studies regarding the influence of the PCR on alcohol use during adolescence. The studies were screened, and the quality of the relevant studies was assessed. A best-evidence synthesis was used to summarize the results.ResultsTwenty-eight relevant studies were identified. Five studies found that a negative PCR was associated with higher levels of alcohol use. Another seven papers only found this association for certain subgroups such as boys or girls, or a specific age group. The remaining sixteen studies did not find any association.ConclusionsWe found weak evidence for a prospective association between the PCR and adolescent alcohol use. Further research to the association of the PCR with several types of alcohol use (e.g., initiation or abuse) and to the potential reversed causality of the PCR and alcohol use is required.