Let´s talk about your childhood! Measures of parental rearing,alcohol use, anxiety and depression in young adults: A cross-cultural study.

Abstract

There is a vast literature describing the importance of child rearing aspects as vulnerability factors predisposing to depression, anxiety and alcohol use in adulthood. Much of the research in the field uses a variety of methods and theoretical bases, making conclusions difficult to draw. Nevertheless, retrospective studies based on data from adults (either clinical or nonclinical) seem to indicate that a perception of parents as being rejecting and controlling is related to depression, anxiety and alcohol use. However, few studies have investigated the links between parenting rearing styles and alcohol use, trait anxiety and depression from a cross-cultural perspective. The present study is a cross-cultural research that aims to explore the overall findings in the parenting field by taking into consideration cultural variables and gender specific influences in the parent-child relationship. The general results support the hypothesis that parental rejection and protection are related to depression, anxiety and alcohol abuse in young adults. Additionally, the associations between parental practices and depression, anxiety and alcohol use were different for males and females. To validate these results, more cross-cultural research making use of a longitudinal design is needed.