Parent–Adolescent Discrepancies in Perceived Overparenting and Adolescent Mental Health: A Multi‐Informant Perspective

Parent–adolescent discrepancies in perceptions of parenting may provide important insight into adolescent adjustment. This study examined how consistency and discrepancy in perceived parental overparenting across parent–adolescent and father–mother dyads were associated with adolescent mental health problems in Chinese families. Participants were 860 adolescents (417 boys; M age = 10.17, SD = 1.54) and their mothers and fathers. Results showed that adolescents reported higher levels of anxiety/depressive symptoms, withdrawal, and somatic complaints when both parents and adolescents perceived high levels of overparenting. Discrepancies between adolescents and parents were also associated with poorer adjustment: adolescents reported more anxiety/depressive symptoms and withdrawal when they perceived higher paternal overparenting than their fathers did, and more anxiety/depressive symptoms when they perceived higher maternal overparenting than their mothers did. In father–mother dyads, adolescents showed more anxiety/depressive symptoms, withdrawal, and somatic complaints when both parents reported high overparenting, whereas interparental discrepancies were not significant. These patterns were consistent across boys and girls. Findings highlight the value of considering adolescents', mothers', and fathers' perspectives simultaneously when examining overparenting and adolescent mental health.