Relationship Between Parental Overprotection and Overcontrol and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: A Serial Mediation Analysis
Relationship Between Parental Overprotection and Overcontrol and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: A Serial Mediation Analysis

Summary/Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of emotion regulation and loneliness in the relationship between parental overprotection and overcontrol and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. Method: The study was conducted with 400 secondary school students (M = 12.08, SD = 1.20) in Denizli. Fifty-eight percent of the participants (n = 232) were girls. In a classroom setting, participants completed the Demographic Information Form, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Revised and Expanded Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Overprotection and Overcontrol Subscale, the Emotion Regulation Scale for Children, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale-Short Form. Results: Parental overprotection and overcontrol were significantly associated with all variables. According to the model assessed using the SPSS Macro, parental overprotection and overcontrol were directly related to children’s internalizing and externalizing problems (effect = 0.97, SE = .09, p < .001, 95% CI [0.80, 1.15]). Emotion regulation skills and loneliness were found to have significant indirect effects on the relationship between parental overprotection and overcontrol and internalizing and externalizing problems (effect = 0.32, SE = 0.047, 95% CI [0.23, 0.42]; effect = 0.24, SE = 0.05, 95% CI [0.15, 0.36], respectively). Moreover, the sequential mediating pathway involving both emotion regulation skills and loneliness was also significant (effect = 0.11, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [0.07, 0.16]). Conclusion: The findings revealed that parental overprotection and overcontrol are not only directly related to children’s internalizing and externalizing problems but also indirectly related through the mediating roles of emotion regulation skills and loneliness. In this respect, the study provides important contributions to both theoretical and applied literature. These findings highlight the need for intervention programs aimed at reducing children’s internalizing and externalizing problems to focus not only on strengthening emotion regulation skills and social relationships but also on reducing parental overprotection and overcontrol behaviors.

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