Too much is not enough: A cross-lagged study of helicopter parenting, parent-child attachment, and adolescents’ depressive symptoms

Abstract Helicopter parenting is one of the key reasons that impair close associations and trigger adolescents’ depressive symptoms. However, reciprocal relations among helicopter parenting, parent-child attachment, and adolescents’ depressive symptoms are unclear. The current study investigated longitudinal associations among helicopter parenting, parent-child attachment, and adolescents’ depressive symptoms at two time points, and examined whether gender would moderate these relations. A total of 1051 Chinese adolescents (Mage baseline = 16.42 years, 53% girls) completed measurements of helicopter parenting, parent-child attachment, and depressive symptoms at 2-time points with 3-month intervals. The results indicated that parent-child attachment negatively predicted subsequent helicopter parenting. Depressive symptoms at T1 negatively predicted parent-child attachment at T2. Moreover, for gender differences, helicopter parenting negatively predicted subsequent girls’ depressive symptoms with marginal significance. Boys’ depressive symptoms at T1 positively predicted helicopter parenting at T2. Helicopter parenting was significantly negatively predicted parent-child attachment in boys but not in girls. Parent-child attachment positively predicted boys’ depressive symptoms and negatively predicted girls’ depressive symptoms. Compared to girls, boys' depressive symptoms were more stable from T1 to T2. These findings have theoretical and practical value, providing a new perspective on interventions for adolescents’ depressive symptoms.