Between age 12 and 18 children develop crucial strengths, such as successfully coping with everyday stress and functioning independently from their parents (Allen et al., 1994; Koepke & Denissen, 2012; Zimmer-Gembeck & Skinner, 2011). For up to one-third of adolescents this development goes awry, leading to emotional problems, such as depression and anxiety (Kessler et al., 2012). The devastating consequences of adolescent emotional problems often last a life time, and include school drop-out, reduced social participation, serious psychiatric disorders, and suicide (e.g. Yiend et al., 2009). Preventive strategies are urgently needed to safeguard the mental health of next generations.
Parenting is a high-potential target in the prevention of emotional problems (Gladstone & Beardslee, 2009; Restifo & Bögels, 2009). There is scientific consensus that parents who provide affection, comfort, companionship, and guidance foster adolescents’ well-being (McLeod et al., 2007; Riley & Masten, 2005; Smetana, 2017). Recently, both popular media commentators and parenting specialists have warned against overly supportive parents. Parents who go ‘above and beyond to protect their child and ensure their child’s happiness’ (Luebbe et al., 2018, p842), may paradoxically, cause exactly what they intend to prevent in the longer run (Padilla-Walker & Nelson, 2012; Reed et al., 2016).
The main objective of this project is to solve this PARADOX, focusing on answering three questions.
RQ1 (build a novel theory): In which families and through which family-specific mechanisms does parental support undermine, rather than promote, well-being?
RQ2 (apply and develop novel methods): How can we study family-specific dynamic processes of parenting,
in which short-term and long-term effects may be opposing?
RQ3 (develop novel interventions for practice): Can a novel intervention with personalized practical advice improve family functioning and child well-being?
