Exploring the Role of Basic Psychological Needs in the Relationship Between Overparenting and Adolescent Psychological Outcomes

Although overparenting in adolescence is generally linked to poorer adolescent outcomes, the underlying psychological mechanisms have been less studied. Data from N = 691 Slovak adolescents ( M age = 15.4 SD = 0.71; 51% girls) were used to examine the role of basic psychological needs (BPN) satisfaction and frustration in the link between overparenting and adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms in two separate mother/father SEM models. BPN mediated the association between overparenting and adolescent psychological functioning, with some differences depending on the parent and adolescent gender. Specifically, BPN satisfaction mediated the link between overparenting and externalizing problems, while BPN frustration mediated the link between overparenting and internalizing problems. Understanding how these mechanisms operate differently in relation to internalizing and externalizing problems can inform targeted interventions.