Positive Adolescent-Parent Relationships Lead to Favorable Health Outcomes

MONDAY, March 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Adolescents’ positive perceptions of their relationships with their parents are associated with favorable outcomes in young adulthood, according to a study published online March 21 in JAMA Network Open.

Carol A. Ford, M.D., from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues used data from waves I and IV of the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. A total of 20,745 adolescents were enrolled in wave I, of whom 15,701 of 19,560 were eligible to complete wave IV.

Overall, 10,744 and 8,214 participants had complete data for mother-adolescent and father-adolescent relationship characteristics, respectively. The researchers found that significantly higher levels of self-rated general health in young adulthood were reported for adolescents reporting higher levels of mother-adolescent warmth, communication, time together, academic expectations, relationship or communication satisfaction, and inductive discipline. Higher levels of self-reported general health in young adulthood were also reported for adolescents who reported higher levels of father-adolescent warmth, communication, time together, academic expectations, and relationship satisfaction. Significantly higher levels of optimism and romantic relationship quality in young adulthood and lower levels of stress and depressive symptoms were reported for adolescents reporting higher levels of all exposures. Significant associations were seen for higher levels of parental warmth, time together, and relationship or communication satisfaction with lower levels of nicotine dependence and substance abuse symptoms, as well as lower odds of unintended pregnancy.

“Investments in improving adolescents’ relationships with their mothers and fathers may have substantial benefits for young adult population health,” the authors write.