Parentification, Stress, and Problem Behavior of Adolescents who have a Parent with Mental Health Problems

• Author: Linda M. A. Van Loon,Karin T. M. Van Doesum,Monique O. M. Van de Ven,Cilia L. M. Witteman,Clemens M. H. Hosman
• Published date: 01 March 2017
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12165
• Date: 01 March 2017

Parentification, Stress, and Problem Behavior of

Adolescents who have a Parent with Mental Health

Problems

LINDA M. A. VAN LOON

*

MONIQUE O. M. VAN DE VEN

*

KARIN T. M. VAN DOESUM

*

CLEMENS M. H. HOSMAN

*

CILIA L. M. WITTEMAN

*

When adolescents live with a parent with mental illness, they often partly take over the

parental role. Little is known about the consequences of this so-called parentification on

the adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems. This survey study examined this

effect cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a sample of 118 adolescents living with a par-

ent suffering from mental health problems. In addition, the study examined a possible

indirect effect via perceived stress. Path analyses were used to examine the direct associa-

tions between parentification and problem behavior as well as the indirect relations via

perceived stress. The results showed that parentification was associated with both inter-

nalizing and externalizing problems cross-sectionally, but it predicted only internalizing

problems 1 year later. An indirect effect of parentification on adolescent internalizing and

externalizing problems via perceived stress was found, albeit only cross -sectionally. These

findings imply that parentification can be stressful for adolescents who liv e with a parent

with mental health problems, and that a greater awareness of parentification is needed to

prevent adolescents from developing internalizing problems.

Keywords: Parentifica tion; Perceived Stress; Problem Behavior; Adolescence; Parental

Mental Illness

Fam Proc 56:141–153, 2017

INTRODUCTION

National survey studies in the Netherlands, Australia, and Norway have reported that

between 17.0% and 37.3% of the total child population has a parent with a mental

health problem (Goossens & Van der Zanden, 2012; Maybery, Reupert, Patrick, Goodyear,

& Crase, 2009; Torvik & Rognmo, 2011). Not all of these children experience difficulties

(Gladstone, Boydell, & McKeever, 2006), but several studies have shown that they are two

to even 13 times more likely to develop psychosocial problems than children whose parents

are mentally healthy (Beardslee, Keller, Lavori, Staley, & Sacks, 1993; Dean et al., 2010).

They for instance risk internalizing problems, such as depression (e.g., Weissman et al.,

2006), or externalizing problems, such as aggression (e.g., Merikangas, Dierker, &

Szatmarie, 1998).

*Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Linda M. A. Van Loon, Behavioural Sci-

ence Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

E-mail: l.vanloon@psych.ru.nl

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Family Process, Vol. 56, No. 1, 2017 ©2015 Family Process Institute

doi: 10.1111/famp.12165