TY - JOUR
T1 - Parenting adolescents in times of a pandemic
T2 - Changes in relationship quality, autonomy support, and parental control?
AU - Bulow, Anne
AU - Keijsers, Loes
AU - Boele, Savannah
AU - van Roekel, Eeske
AU - Denissen, Jaap J. A.
N1 - This research was supported by Grant (VIDI-452-17-011) from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research awarded to Loes Keijsers.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - This Dutch multi-informant study examined effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown (LD; e.g., school closure and social restrictions) on parent-adolescent relationships. Four biweekly measurements before and 4 biweekly measurements during the LD were collected among adolescents (N = 179, M-age = 14.26 years, 69% girls) and their parents (N = 144, M-age = 47.01 years, 81% female). Parents' educational level was relatively diverse: 12% low (high school or lower), 33% medium (vocational training), and 55% high (college or university). Adolescents and parents reported on parental support, parent-adolescent conflict, autonomy support, psychological control, behavioral control, and time spent on various activities. Adolescents spent more time with their parents during LD (before M = 8.6 hr, during M = 12.7 hr), but less time with friends (before M = 8.1 hr, during M = 2.1 hr), and reported on average 13 COVID-19-related rules. Preregistered piecewise growth models confirmed that autonomy support decreased immediately during the LD, but no mean level changes were observed in the other relationship dimensions. During the first 2 months of the LD, parents reported gradual increases in autonomy support and decreases in behavioral control. Moreover, significant differences between families were found in sudden and more gradual relationship changes, which correlated strongly with pre-LD characteristics of the relationship, and in some models with adolescent oppositional defiance and legitimacy beliefs. In sum, findings suggest resilience in most families, but also heterogeneity: Some families were negatively affected, and others were positively affected. A tailored approach is therefore needed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on family functioning.
AB - This Dutch multi-informant study examined effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown (LD; e.g., school closure and social restrictions) on parent-adolescent relationships. Four biweekly measurements before and 4 biweekly measurements during the LD were collected among adolescents (N = 179, M-age = 14.26 years, 69% girls) and their parents (N = 144, M-age = 47.01 years, 81% female). Parents' educational level was relatively diverse: 12% low (high school or lower), 33% medium (vocational training), and 55% high (college or university). Adolescents and parents reported on parental support, parent-adolescent conflict, autonomy support, psychological control, behavioral control, and time spent on various activities. Adolescents spent more time with their parents during LD (before M = 8.6 hr, during M = 12.7 hr), but less time with friends (before M = 8.1 hr, during M = 2.1 hr), and reported on average 13 COVID-19-related rules. Preregistered piecewise growth models confirmed that autonomy support decreased immediately during the LD, but no mean level changes were observed in the other relationship dimensions. During the first 2 months of the LD, parents reported gradual increases in autonomy support and decreases in behavioral control. Moreover, significant differences between families were found in sudden and more gradual relationship changes, which correlated strongly with pre-LD characteristics of the relationship, and in some models with adolescent oppositional defiance and legitimacy beliefs. In sum, findings suggest resilience in most families, but also heterogeneity: Some families were negatively affected, and others were positively affected. A tailored approach is therefore needed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on family functioning.
KW - coronavirus
KW - parenting
KW - adolescents
KW - adaptation
KW - longitudinal
KW - CHILDRENS PERCEPTIONS
KW - PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTROL
KW - FAMILY RESILIENCE
KW - AUTHORITY
KW - CONFLICT
KW - ADJUSTMENT
KW - BELIEFS
KW - STRESS
KW - STYLES
KW - MODELS
U2 - 10.1037/dev0001208
DO - 10.1037/dev0001208
M3 - Article
SN - 0012-1649
VL - 57
SP - 1582
EP - 1596
JO - Developmental Psychology
JF - Developmental Psychology
IS - 10
ER -