New research suggests that parents who enforce strict discipline and 'tough love' could be inadvertently increasing their children's risk of developing depression during adolescence.
The Four Parenting Styles and Their Impact
The study, led by Dr Anjali Bhatt of Tribhuvan University in Nepal, involved 583 school students aged between 10 and 18. Each participant completed surveys assessing their levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem, alongside a questionnaire evaluating their parents' disciplinary approach.
Researchers typically categorise parenting into four styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. Authoritarian parents are highly controlling, demanding obedience and enforcing rules with punishment, offering little flexibility or explanation. This is the style famously championed by figures like 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother' author Amy Chua, who advocates for strict discipline to build resilience.
In contrast, authoritative parents also set clear boundaries but focus on explaining the reasons behind rules and fostering a supportive, warm relationship. Permissive parents impose few rules and prioritise open communication, while uninvolved parents are disengaged.
Key Findings on Mental Health Risks
The study's results challenge the supposed benefits of an authoritarian approach. Adolescents who perceived their parents as authoritarian had a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing depression. The researchers theorise this is because strict parenting can create an "isolated, pressurising environment" detrimental to mental wellbeing.
Conversely, children with authoritative, nurturing parents showed a lower risk of depression, anxiety, and stress. Dr Bhatt notes in the paper that the love, warmth, and high responsiveness characteristic of this style likely decrease symptoms of what the study terms DAS (depression, anxiety, stress).
Interestingly, permissive parenting was not strongly linked to depression but was associated with higher stress levels among the teenagers studied.
The Surprising Self-Esteem Paradox and Bigger Threats
One counterintuitive finding was that children of strict parents actually reported higher levels of self-esteem than those with authoritative parents, contradicting some prior research. The study authors suggest this could be because the involved, controlling nature of authoritative parents might sometimes lead to high expectations that can dampen an adolescent's self-regard.
However, the research highlighted that factors beyond parenting style can have an even greater impact on a child's mental health. Most strikingly, experiencing bullying massively increased the risks. Teens who reported being bullied were 2.4 times more likely to be depressed, 2.17 times more likely to be anxious, and 2.37 times more likely to have low self-esteem.
This study adds to a growing body of evidence on the long-term effects of parenting. Previous research has indicated that strict parenting can alter how a child's brain handles stress later in life, creating patterns similar to those seen in adults with depression and reducing their capacity to cope with challenges.
