IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v72y2026i1p43-54.html

The association between parenting styles and depression symptoms in young adults with major depressive disorder: A latent profile analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Fan Wang
  • Hao Hou
  • Sichen Zhou
  • Shufang Zhang
  • Li Jun Kang
  • Chunfeng Tian
  • Liandi Jing
  • Qinyu Wang
  • Jie Chen
  • Huijing Zou
  • Dan Luo
  • Bing Xiang Yang

Abstract

Background: Parenting styles (PSs) are significant risk factors for major depressive disorder (MDD) in young adults. Understanding the common features of these parenting styles and their specific effects on depression is crucial for effective intervention. Aims: To assess the profiles of paternal and maternal parenting styles and their impact on depression-related symptoms in young Chinese adults with MDD. Method: This study involved 717 young adult outpatients (24.20 ± 3.84 years) with MDD, diagnosed at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University between April and December 2019. Participants completed the Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU) questionnaire and scales measuring depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), anhedonia (SHAPS), and physical symptoms (PHQ-15). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify PS profiles. The effects of different parenting style profiles on depression, anxiety, and anhedonia were assessed using stepwise linear regression. Results: LPA identified three profiles for both paternal and maternal PSs. For fathers: ‘Warm-Preference PS’ (27.2%), ‘moderate PS’ (65.3%), and ‘Harsh-Controlling PS’ (7.53%). For mothers: ‘Warm-Preference PS’ (34.7%), ‘moderate PS’ (12%), and ‘Harsh-Controlling PS’ (53.3%). Regression analyses revealed that punitive and overprotective parenting significantly affected depression and anxiety, while emotionally warm parenting correlated with better mental health. Conclusions: This study applied LPA to classify PS in MDD patients and revealing maternal-specific effects, addressing gaps in prior research. It underscores three distinguished PSs and the significant correlations between PSs and the severity of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms in young adults with MDD. Specific patterns of parenting influence mental health outcomes, highlighting the importance of early intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Fan Wang & Hao Hou & Sichen Zhou & Shufang Zhang & Li Jun Kang & Chunfeng Tian & Liandi Jing & Qinyu Wang & Jie Chen & Huijing Zou & Dan Luo & Bing Xiang Yang, 2026. "The association between parenting styles and depression symptoms in young adults with major depressive disorder: A latent profile analysis," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 72(1), pages 43-54, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:72:y:2026:i:1:p:43-54
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640251353542
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640251353542
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640251353542?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arantxa Gorostiaga & Jone Aliri & Nekane Balluerka & Joanes Lameirinhas, 2019. "Parenting Styles and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Liu, Yuerong & Merritt, Darcey H., 2018. "Examining the association between parenting and childhood depression among Chinese children and adolescents: A systematic literature review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 316-332.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liu, Yuerong & Merritt, Darcey H., 2021. "Family routines and child problem behaviors in fragile families: The role of social demographic and contextual factors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    2. Abdullah Sarwar & Md. Amirul Islam & Muhammad Mohiuddin & Mohammad Ali Tareq & Aysa Siddika, 2022. "Social Connections and Self-Perceived Depression: An Enhanced Model for Studying Teenagers’ Mental Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-12, November.
    3. Ching-Yu Huang & Yi-Ping Hsieh & April Chiung-Tao Shen & Hsi-Sheng Wei & Jui-Ying Feng & Hsiao-Lin Hwa & Joyce Yen Feng, 2019. "Relationships between Parent-Reported Parenting, Child-Perceived Parenting, and Children’s Mental Health in Taiwanese Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Wangqian Fu & Qianqian Pan & Weida Zhang & Lei Zhang, 2022. "Understanding the Relationship between Parental Psychological Control and Prosocial Behavior in Children in China: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Gender," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-15, September.
    5. Jerf W. K. Yeung, 2021. "Family Processes, Parenting Practices, and Psychosocial Maturity of Chinese Youths: A Latent Variable Interaction and Mediation Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-15, April.
    6. Juan M. Flujas-Contreras & Azucena García-Palacios & Inmaculada Gómez, 2021. "Effectiveness of a Web-Based Intervention on Parental Psychological Flexibility and Emotion Regulation: A Pilot Open Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-18, March.
    7. Wang, Zhongjie & Liu, Cuijing & Li, Tianran & Zhao, Fengqing, 2020. "Paternal parenting and depressive symptoms among adolescents: A moderated mediation model of deviant peer affiliation and school climate," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    8. Luo, Yuhan & Chen, Fumei & Zhang, Xinghui & Zhang, Yu & Zhang, Qin & Li, Yanfang & Zhou, Qing & Wang, Yun, 2021. "Profiles of maternal and paternal parenting styles in Chinese families: Relations to preschoolers’ psychological adjustment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    9. Gao, Qiufeng & Fu, En & Xiang, Yanhui & Jia, Ge & Wu, Shiyi, 2021. "Self-esteem and addictive smartphone use: The mediator role of anxiety and the moderator role of self-control," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    10. Alicia Carbone & Carmela Pestell & Thom Nevill & Vincent Mancini, 2024. "The Indirect Effects of Fathers’ Parenting Style and Parent Emotion Regulation on the Relationship Between Father Self-Efficacy and Children’s Mental Health Difficulties," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(1), pages 1-22, December.
    11. Arantxa Gorostiaga & Jone Aliri & Nekane Balluerka & Joanes Lameirinhas, 2019. "Parenting Styles and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-19, September.
    12. Yujia Zheng & Yuhang Fang & Yan Jin & Xiayun Zuo & Qiguo Lian & Chaohua Lou & Chunyan Yu & Xiaowen Tu & Lihe Li & Ping Hong, 2022. "Parenting Practice Profiling and Its Associated Factors among Secondary Vocational School Students in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-12, June.
    13. Zheng, Tianpeng & Jiang, Liuqing & Zhang, Xinyu & Liang, Lichan & Bian, Yufang, 2024. "Parent-adolescent discrepancies in perceived parental warmth and authoritarian parenting and early adolescents’ depressive symptoms," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    14. Isabel Martinez & Fernando Garcia & Feliciano Veiga & Oscar F. Garcia & Yara Rodrigues & Emilia Serra, 2020. "Parenting Styles, Internalization of Values and Self-Esteem: A Cross-Cultural Study in Spain, Portugal and Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-18, March.
    15. Katelyn Battista & Karen A. Patte & Liqun Diao & Joel A. Dubin & Scott T. Leatherdale, 2022. "Using Decision Trees to Examine Environmental and Behavioural Factors Associated with Youth Anxiety, Depression, and Flourishing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-16, August.
    16. Jun-Hong Chen & Chieh-Hsun Huang & Chi-Fang Wu & Melissa Jonson-Reid & Brett Drake, 2024. "The Application of Family Stress Model to Investigating Adolescent Problematic Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Assets," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 174-183, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:72:y:2026:i:1:p:43-54. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.