Povezanost usklađenosti roditelja u odgoju s emocionalnim i ponašajnim problemima adolescenata The relationship between coparenting and adolescent emotional and behavioral problems

摘要

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship betweenudcoparenting and adolescent emotional and behavioral problems, and whether there wereuddifferences according to adolescent gender. We also examined the relationship betweenudcoparenting and overall family functioning, and parent-adolescent bonding. The predictiveudvalue of coparenting, overall family functioning, and parent-adolescent bonding forudadolescent behavior problems was determined.udSUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study completed 241adolescents, 122 adolescents in theudclinical and 119 in the control group. Adolescents were aged 15 to 18 years. The clinicaludgroup included adolescents referred to their first psychiatric interview at the psychiatricudHospital for Children and Youth, Zagreb. The control group included adolescent who haveudnever been in psychiatric treatment in general practitioners' offices at he Helth Center Zagrebud– Zapad, Zagreb. Both biological parents of adolescents who were married, were alsoudincluded in the study. The participants filled in self-report questionnaires that assess theudquality of the coparenting relationship, overall faily functioning, parent-adolescent bondingudand adolescent emotional and behavioral problems.udRESULTS: Supportive coparenting was significantly lower in families with adolescents inudthe clincal group than in the control group. Parents' characteristics had greater impact onudsupportive coparenting than adolescents' characteristics. Supportive coparenting wasudsignificantly higher in families with adolescents whose parents had higher level of education,ud107udand lower in families with adolescents whose parents had a history of psychiatric illness. Theuddifference in supportive coparenting according to adolescent gender was not significant.udSupportive coparenting was significantly and negatively associated with male and femaleudadolescent emotional, behavioral and total problems, except for supportive coparentingudreported by fathers and emotional problems of male adolelscents. Supportive coparenting wasudsignificantly and negatively associated with the number of problems in overall familyudfunctioning, significantly and positively with parental care, and significantly and negativelyudwith maternal overprotection on the sample of female adolescents and paternal overprotectionudon the total sample. The results of this study indicate significant differences in supoortiveudcoparenting according to the type of parent-adolescent bonding, such that with the increase inudsupportive coparenting, the type of mother-adolescent bonding and father-adolescent bondingudimproves.udSupportive coparenting predicted adolescent exteranlizing behavior problems, but notudinternalizing problems.udCONCLUSION: Findings from this study underscore the role of coparenting for adolescentudexternalizing behavior problems and the need to include the evaluation of this familyudrelationship in the initial assesment. Family interventions targeting the coparentingudrelationship may be highly appropriate for families with adolescents referred for externalizingudsymptoms.