The effect of parental reactions on problem solving, coping, and support seeking in adolescents and young adults

This study examined the influence of parents on the problem solving, coping, and support seeking behavior in 184 adolescents and young adults in a university setting, which an emphasis on parent level of involvement in his/her child's life. Participants completed the Parents' Reactions Questionnaire---Student Version (PRQ-SV), a scale created for the current study which asked about reaction to a specific recent problematic situation in the participant's life during which they sought help from their parents. Outcome measures of the Social Problem Solving Inventory---Revised (SPSI-R), the Ways of Coping scale (WAYS), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) were also completed. Results supported an a posteriori theoretical model in which perceived parental level of involvement predicted perception and experience of negative emotion, leading to negative participant outcomes. Results were discussed in terms of the extant literature and future direction.