Parenting Style, Individuation, and Mental Health of Egyptian Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 213037
• Journal: Journal of Adolescence Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 103-117
• Author(s): Marwan Dwairy; Kariman E. Menshar
• Date Published: February 2006
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Three questionnaires that measure parenting style, adolescent-family bonding, and mental health were administered to 351 (212 boys and 139 girls) Egyptian adolescents in the 11th grade (16-17 years old).

Abstract

The three parenting styles measured with the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) were "authoritarian," "authoritative," and "permissive." The authoritarian style of parenting restricts the autonomy of children through parental control and parental decisions about appropriate behavior for the child. The permissive parenting style encourages a child's autonomy, decisionmaking, and control over their own activities. The authoritative style is a blend of the authoritarian and permissive styles, as parents nurture the child's individuality while exerting moderate control in guiding the child progressively toward more autonomy. The study found that in rural villages in Egypt, the authoritarian parenting style was prevalent in raising adolescent boys, while the authoritative style was more often used in parenting adolescent girls. In urban communities, on the other hand, the authoritarian style of parenting was more often used with adolescent girls. The bonding of all adolescent girls with their families was stronger than that of adolescent boys. Girls' familial bonding was more emotional and financial in rural villages and more functional in urban communities. Adolescent girls in both rural and urban communities reported a higher frequency of psychological disorders than adolescent boys. The authoritative parenting style was associated with more familial bonding and better mental health. Authoritarian parenting was associated only with emotional bonding to family, and permissive parenting had no association with bonding. In addition to the PAQ, the sample was administered the Multigenerational Interconnectedness Scale--which assessed emotional, financial, and functional bonds of adolescents with their family--and the Psychological State Scale, which assesses 27 psychological states of Egyptian adolescents and adults. 3 tables and 61 references