Parents Of College Students Research Articles

In Case You Haven't Heard…

United Healthcare announced new survey findings from its second annual Student Behavioral Health Report, revealing college students are more likely to self‐report whether they or a roommate/friend encountered high‐risk mental or behavioral health concerns in the past year compared with high school students, the online news agency, businesswire, reported May 16. Findings further show that a significant gap remains between what college students self‐report and what parents of college students perceive. By contrast, parents of high schoolers report perceptions closely aligned with the experiences high school students self‐report. Data reveal that among college students, 77% self‐reported that they, or a classmate or friend, encountered at least one mental or behavioral health concern in the past year, including anxiety/stress (55%), depression (41%) and suicidal ideation and intent (13%). These figures represent a near 50% jump compared to self‐reported high school student experiences with the same concerns (35%, 20% and 9%, respectively). Among its findings, the Student Behavioral Health Report also revealed an association between more frequent discussions of students' mental or behavioral health and significant increases in the number of students self‐reporting that they felt “supported.”

“Letting Go and Staying Connected”: Substance Use Outcomes from a Developmentally Targeted Intervention for Parents of College Students

We present results of a randomized, controlled, efficacy trial of a handbook intervention for parents of first-year college students. The aim of the interactive intervention was to decrease risk behaviors by increasing family protective factors. The handbook, based in self-determination theory and the social development model, provided evidence-based and developmentally targeted suggestions for parents to engage with their students in activities designed to support successful adjustment to college. We recruited 919 parent-student dyads from incoming students enrolled at a university in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and randomly assigned them to control and intervention conditions. We sent handbooks to intervention parents in June before students’ August matriculation. Research assistants trained in motivational interviewing contacted parents to encourage use of the handbook. Control parents and students received treatment as usual. Participants completed baseline surveys during their final semester in high school (time 1) and their first semester at college (time 2). Self-reported frequency of alcohol, cannabis, and simultaneous use increased across both handbook and control students. In intent-to-treat analyses, odds of increased use were consistently lower and of similar magnitude for students in the intervention condition than in the control condition, and odds of first-time use were also lower in the intervention condition. Contact from research assistants predicted parents’ engagement, and parent and student report of active engagement with handbook predicted lower substance use among intervention than control students across the transition to college. We developed a low-cost, theory-based handbook to help parents support their young adult children as they transition to independent college life. Students whose parents used the handbook were less likely to initiate or increase substance use than students in the control condition during their first semester in college.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03227809

Addressing anxiety through conversation and campus programming: a mixed methods exploration of student and parent perspectives

Objective: This mixed methods study examined student and parent experiences with anxiety and preferences for campus-based programming to address anxiety. Participants: College students (n = 156) completed a survey, and 20 students participated in focus groups. Parents of college students (n = 85) completed a survey, and 12 parents completed a phone interview. Methods: Students and parents completed surveys about trait worry, mental health literacy, and preferences for proposed programming. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Students participated in focus groups, and parents completed interviews regarding their experiences and preferences. Thematic analysis was conducted with the coded focus group and interview transcripts. Results: Quantitative and qualitative findings revealed specific program preferences (eg scheduling). Qualitative findings highlighted mismatches between student and parent perspectives and opportunities for parental skill building. Conclusions: Students and their parents are open to and eager for campus programming that provides education, skills, and support for college students with anxiety.

College Family Coping and Disruptions During COVID-19: A Consideration of the ABC-X Model of Family Stress

For many families, COVID-19 has disrupted students’ higher education experience. To better understand how COVID-19 has not just impacted students but family systems, in the current study, the ABC-X model of family stress was applied to college families. The COVID-19 pandemic created stressors for college families (A), which impacted families depending on the resources available to them (B). How the families understand and perceive these stressors has impacted students’ college experience (C). For college students and their families, an outcome of working to respond to these stressors could be delaying graduation, or changing academic plans (X). During October and November 2020, 3,932 parents of college students across the United States, representing more than 75 institutions, completed a 15-minute online survey. Findings revealed that families and students were differentially impacted by COVID-19, in the family stressors they experienced, and also in their academic stressors. What is particularly important in these data is that families matter—when families were supported, students did better and when parents reported a greater negative impact of COVID-19 they also reported students were less likely to maintain their graduation plans and more likely to change their academic plans. Incorporating a family lens into future research on college students is critical for advancing the field and supporting student success.

Conversation Breeds Compliance: The Role of Intergenerational Communication in Promoting Preventive Behaviors against COVID-19 among Middle-Aged Parents in China.

This study aims to explore and compare the influences of two crucial information channels used by middle-aged parents—media and their adult children—on their health knowledge, emotions and preventive behaviors against COVID-19, based on media exposure and the family communication patterns (FCP) theory. Parents of college students in Guangzhou, China were invited to participate in an online survey between February 10 and 24, 2020. A total of 193 respondents, aged between 40 and 65 years, completed the study questionnaire. Media exposure was a positive predictor of negative emotions, intergenerational discussions, and preventive behaviors among Chinese middle-aged parents. Conversation orientation was a positive predictor of scientific discussions and preventive behaviors, whereas conformity orientation was a negative predictor of knowledge, but a positive predictor of intergenerational discussions and negative emotions. Intergenerational discussions mediated the relationships between media exposure and preventive behaviors, as well as between FCP and preventive behaviors. Health communication efforts require the help of adult children as intergenerational communication serves as an important amplifier in terms of influencing the health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of middle-aged and elderly populations.

Intentional Interactions and Identity Development: Perspectives on Education?

This study utilized self-report survey data to explore formal, intentional interactions measurably impacting an individual’s identity among three groups in the mid-western United States. Data were collected across three levels: individual college-aged students in late-adolescence or early-adulthood, parents of college students, and adult community citizens. The mean scores of all three groups were compared using ANOVA and revealed no significant difference between the three groups, thus suggesting that students, parents, and community members agree that their direct words influence the actions of others. The results of the study illustrate both the impact and influence of parents on children, that it is difficult to measure inter-relationship between parent and child, and the interactions between these groups can be difficult to measure, suggesting a complicated relationship. However, the study does underscore the profound impact that people around children have on identity development and ultimately student actions.

Investigating the efficacy of a self-directed parenting intervention to reduce risky behaviors among college students: Study protocol for a multi-arm hybrid type 2 randomized control trial

BackgroundEarly adulthood is a critical developmental period when many youth transition from living at home to the relative autonomy of college. This transition results in increased opportunity for positive growth and identity development – and for risky substance use and sexual behaviors. Parents continue to influence young adult behavior even from a distance; however, few studies have rigorously tested parent-college student interventions. MethodsThis multi-arm hybrid type 2 trial tests the short- and long-term efficacy of a self-directed handbook for parents of first-year college students. In the summer before college, parent-student dyads are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: control, Parent Handbook, or Parent Handbook Plus. Handbook parents receive encouragement via phone calls to read the handbook and complete activities with their student before leaving for college. Handbook Plus parents also receive booster messages targeted at risky or stressful times. Participants complete surveys of intervention-targeted knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors at baseline and four months after baseline. Students complete three additional surveys at nine, 16, and 21 months after baseline. Dyads in the intervention conditions also reported on handbook utilization, perceived usefulness, and engagement with intervention materials. DiscussionSelf-directed family interventions may be a feasible strategy for involving parents of college students. This trial aimed to determine: 1) the efficacy of a self-directed handbook intervention for parents of first-year college students, including whether the addition of periodic booster messages enhanced efficacy; and 2) how variations in handbook utilization, perceived usefulness, and engagement were linked to student outcomes.

여대생의 직업의식에 영향을 미치는 요인 : 부모의 영향을 중심으로

The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing on work values of female college students focusing on parental effect to enhance their participation in labor market. The respondents were asked to answer a questionnaire, and the collected 400 data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0. The results showed that the students and their parents had more leisure-oriented and extrinsic work values than labor-oriented and intrinsic work values. The labor-oriented and intrinsic work values appeared to be high in the group with experience of part time jobs, with high educated father or with middle household income. The influencing factors on college students’ work values were parental work values, gender consciousness, self-efficacy and major. The results from this study suggest that parents of college students should be educated to change their work values.

Harm-reduction and zero-tolerance maternal messages about college alcohol use

Past cross-sectional research suggests that zero-tolerance messaging by parents of college students may be more effective than harm-reduction communication at reducing student alcohol risk. The current study employs longitudinal data to examine whether communication type interacts with student alcohol use to predict subsequent drinking outcomes. U.S. college students reported on their own exposure to zero-tolerance and harm-reduction maternal communication. Approximately seven months later, students completed measures of maternal alcohol approval and their own alcohol behaviors. The relationship between communication and subsequent alcohol behaviors depended on students' baseline drinking. For heavy drinkers, harm-reduction communication was associated with less alcohol use and consequences. For those who drank less than two drinks a week, zero-tolerance communication was associated with fewer negative consequences. Zero-tolerance communication was associated with perceiving mothers as less approving, while harm reduction communication was associated with perceiving mothers as more approving. There were indirect effects of communication on drinking through perceived maternal approval. While overall harm-reduction communication may lead students to perceive mothers as more approving of alcohol use, there may be contexts in which this type of communication is beneficial.

Helicopter Parenting, Self-regulatory Processes, and Alcohol Use among Female College Students

Alcohol use, which is often associated with other problems in well-being, is a persistent problem among college students. Helicopter parenting, defined as parental overinvolvement, is an emerging parenting behavior that could be associated with alcohol use among college students. This study of 473 female undergraduate students investigated the association between helicopter parenting and alcohol use through psychological needs satisfaction and self-control. Structural equation modeling suggested that helicopter parenting was associated with higher levels of alcohol use through lower levels of psychological needs satisfaction and self-control. The implications for college students, parents of college students, educators, and university administrators are also discussed.

Empowering and Inviting Parents of College Students with Actionable Mail: A Randomized Controlled Experiment at a Four-Year Public University

Inviting and empowering parents via low-cost, light-touch mail-based interventions can have large effects in K-12 schools; we implement a similar intervention to increase second-year retention at a public four-year university. We find that the treatment did not noticeably affect second year retention rate or student academic performance, though the intervention may have changed parental beliefs in promising ways. In order for similar projects to be effective, we recommend that they target the parents of students who are academically qualified to return for their second year; focus the intervention on the spring and summer semesters before second year; communicate content that is exclusively relevant to re-enrollment to deliver focal messaging before parents habituate to the mailings; and, ideally, increase sample size by facilitating consent procedures consistent with FERPA regulations.

“If I Pay, I Have a Say!”

Guided by developmental and sociological frameworks, the present study investigated two interrelated research questions, namely, (a) is helicopter parenting (HP) a unidimensional or multidimensional construct and (b) is parental payment of college education associated with freshmen’s reports of HP? Participants (58% female) included 190 first-semester freshmen (70% Caucasian) who completed a survey with items on parenting (proportion of parental payment for college education, HP behaviors). Results indicated HP was a singular form of overinvolvement and that most freshmen reported low levels of HP. As hypothesized, parental payment of college education was positively associated with HP, and this association was strongest among freshmen without a scholarship. Challenges to the popularized perception that most parents of college students are overinvolved, and implications regarding educational expenses linking parents and emerging adults in the college context are discussed.

Understanding Attitudes, Beliefs, and Information Seeking Regarding Hookah Smoking in Parents of College Students: An Exploratory Qualitative Pilot Study.

Hookah smoking has become increasingly common among young adults in the United States. College students engage in hookah smoking due to the increased exposure and popularity of hookah bars surrounding college campuses. There is limited information on parental perceptions of college students' hookah smoking. Forty-four telephone interviews were recorded and transcribed with parents of college students using a structured interview guide to explore perceptions, beliefs, behaviors, and information seeking regarding hookah smoking. The transcripts were coded and categorized using NVivo software, and emerging themes were uncovered. Parents were lacking in awareness and knowledge of hookah smoking and health consequences. They often equated hookah smoking with bong use from their own college experiences. Although negative effects were equated with cigarette smoking, some parents reported beneficial effects of hookah smoking. Some parents disapproved of their college students smoking hookah, whereas others felt it was important that they try new behaviors in moderation. The varying responses indicate that parents were not receiving consistent messages, if any, regarding hookah tobacco smoking. Informing parents of current novel risky behaviors such as hookah smoking is necessary as they are trusted sources of information for young adult children. Delivering information and educational messages to both students and their parents may be a worthy approach when developing campaigns to deter hookah smoking. There is a need to deter hookah smoking, as it remains a public health concern.

Parents' and students' perceptions of college alcohol risk: The role of parental risk perception in intentions to communicate about alcohol

IntroductionThe current study aims to examine discrepancies in parents' and college students' perceptions of alcohol risk and the role of perceived risk in predicting parents' intentions to discuss alcohol with their child. MethodsIn total, 246 college student–parent dyads (56.1% female students, 77.2% mothers) were recruited from a mid-size university. Participants completed measures of absolute likelihood, comparative likelihood, and severity of alcohol consequences. ResultsIn comparison to students, parents perceived the risks of alcohol poisoning (p<.001), academic impairment (p<.05), and problems with others (p<.05) to be more likely. In addition, parents rated the majority of alcohol consequences (e.g., passing out, regrettable sexual situation, throwing up) as more severe than students (all ps<.001). However, parents tended to be more optimistic than their child about the comparative likelihood of alcohol consequences. After controlling for demographics and past alcohol communication, greater absolute likelihood (β=.20, p=.016) and less confidence in knowledge of student behavior (β=.20, p=.013) predicted greater intentions to discuss alcohol. ConclusionsProviding parents of college students with information about college drinking norms and the likelihood of alcohol consequences may help prompt alcohol-related communication.

Normative feedback for parents of college students: Piloting a parent based intervention to correct misperceptions of students' alcohol use and other parents' approval of drinking

ObjectiveMulti-component parent-based interventions (PBIs) provide a promising avenue for targeting alcohol use and related consequences in college students. Parents of college-aged children can have a significant influence on their children's alcohol use decisions. However, parents tend to underestimate their own child's alcohol use and overestimate other similar parents' approval of student drinking. These misperceptions could have important implications for parents' own attitudes and alcohol-related communication with their student. Targeting these misperceptions through normative feedback could help promote greater and more in-depth alcohol-related communication. The present study examines the potential efficacy of web-based alcohol-related normative feedback for parents of college students. MethodA sample of 144 parents of college students received web-based normative feedback about students' alcohol use and approval, as well as other same-college parents' alcohol approval. Parents completed measures of perceived student alcohol use, student alcohol approval, other-parent alcohol approval, and intentions to discuss alcohol use both pre- and post-normative feedback. ResultsPost-feedback, parents reported stronger intentions to talk to their student about alcohol, were less confident in their knowledge of their students' alcohol use, and believed that their student drank in greater quantity and more frequently than pre-feedback. Parents also perceived other parents to be less approving of alcohol use after viewing normative feedback. ConclusionsThese findings provide preliminary support for the use of web-based normative feedback for parents of college students. Given these promising results, further research developing and testing this approach merits attention.

Parents Know Best, But Are They Accurate? Parental Normative Misperceptions and Their Relationship to Students' Alcohol-Related Outcomes

Parents often look to other parents for guidance, but how accurate are their perceptions? Expanding on existing normative literature to include parents of college students, this study first sought to determine whether parents accurately estimated the attitudes of other parents concerning their college student's alcohol-related behaviors. The effect of these (mis)perceived injunctive norms on the alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors of the parents' own children was then examined. Participants were 270 college student-parent dyadic pairs who completed independent online surveys. The student sample was 59% female; the parent sample was 78% female. A structural equation model demonstrated that parents significantly overestimated other parents' approval of alcohol use by their respective child and, further, that these misperceptions strongly influenced parental attitudes toward their own child's drinking. Parental attitudes were subsequently found to be significantly associated with their child's attitudes toward drinking but were only marginally associated with the child's actual drinking, thereby underscoring the mediational effect of the child's attitudes. This is the first study to document the influence of parental normative misperceptions regarding alcohol use by their college-age children, reinforcing the importance of parental attitudes on children's alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors in college. These findings support the need to complement student-based interventions with parent-based interventions aimed at increasing parental awareness and involvement. Further, the current findings indicate that normative interventions targeting parents offer a promising avenue by which to indirectly and positively influence college students' alcohol use.

Using Parents in a Defined Role in Alcohol Education: Parents as Prevention Specialists

Parents of today’s college students bring unique experiences to the academic journey. They support extended parenting into the college years, demonstrate commitment and knowledge as prevention specialists with regards to their son or daughter’s safety, and value the opportunity for partnerships to be developed with the institution of their child’s enrollment. They also find themselves concerned with alcohol and its effect on the learning experience. The authors in this conceptual article introduce a new component to a comprehensive alcohol education model that capitalizes on the strengths that parents can bring to the college experience and explores the effect of providing evidence to parents that, through consistent and quality communication, they can influence their son or daughter’s decisions about alcohol consumption Literature specific to the attitudes, beliefs, and values of parents of college students about alcohol use is limited; but it confirms that accurate parental awareness of their student’s use and honest dialogue about alcohol use may serve as mediating factors in decisions about alcohol consumption. The department of parent services may be well positioned to encourage and motivate consistent and quality conversations between parents and their student.

Navigating state and federal student privacy laws to design educationally sound parental notice policies

AbstractThis chapter describes the relationship between federal student privacy laws and state privacy laws, and identifies the changes in the federal law over the last ten years affecting disclosure to parents of college students. Recent litigation on health emergencies is outlined and the limited rights of college students not yet eighteen years of age are examined.

The Family Experience With Eating Disorders Scale: Psychometric Analysis

The role of the family in the development and maintenance of eating disorders is frequently cited in the literature; however, common methodological issues, including the use of diverse family assessment instruments with inadequate psychometric properties, exist. Further, variables specific to families with eating disorder are not being captured in available instruments. The modeling and role-modeling theory (Erickson, H., Kinney, C. (Eds). 1990. Modeling and role-modeling: Theory, practice, and research. Austin, TX: Society for Advancement of Modeling and Role-Modeling; Erickson, H., Tomlin, E., Swain, M. A. 1983. Modeling and role-modeling: A theory and paradigm for nursing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.) was employed to structure the Family Experience with Eating Disorders Scale (FEEDS), a 53-item instrument that measures variables specific to families with eating disorder. An adequate degree of reliability and validity of the FEEDS was demonstrated with a multisite sample composed of three groups: 146 parents of individuals with eating disorders, 35 parents of adolescents with psychiatric disorders, and 100 parents of college students with no known psychiatric illness. Structural equation modeling supported the construct validity of a reduced 30-item instrument and confirmed three higher order measurement models. A provisional degree of known group validity was established. Tests of internal consistency and test-retest at 2 weeks demonstrated adequate reliability. The FEEDS could be a useful adjunct to clinical assessment and could be instrumental in designing nursing interventions and measuring treatment outcomes for families with eating disorder.

Does autonomy increase with age? Comparing the goal motivations of college students and their parents

We found that parents of college students report greater goal-autonomy than their children, consistent with organismic, humanistic, and trait perspectives upon positive aging. Parents also had higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect than their children. In a second, retrospective test of the age-to-autonomy relationship, parents reported more autonomy now compared to their own former selves, in addition to greater life-satisfaction. Finally, autonomy partially mediated the age-to-SWB effects, in both types of test. Overall, results support the proposal that personality functioning typically improves between the college years and middle age, providing normative SWB benefits.