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Dariotis JK, Chen FR, Park YR, Nowak MK, French KM, Codamon AM. Parentification Vulnerability, Reactivity, Resilience, and Thriving: A Mixed Methods Systematic Literature Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6197. [PMID: 37444045 PMCID: PMC10341267 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20136197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Parentification occurs when youth are forced to assume developmentally inappropriate parent- or adult-like roles and responsibilities. This review thoroughly examines current empirical research on parentification, its outcomes, and related mechanisms to outline patterns of findings and significant literature gaps. This review is timely in the large context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when pandemic-induced responsibilities and demands on youth, and the shifting family role may exacerbate parentification and its consequences. We used the 2020 updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to identify 95 studies (13 qualitative, 81 quantitative, 1 mixed methods) meeting eligibility criteria. Representation from six continents highlights parentification as a global phenomenon. Using thematic analysis, we identified five themes from qualitative studies and five from quantitative studies. These were further integrated into four common themes: (1) some parentified youth experienced positive outcomes (e.g., positive coping), albeit constructs varied; (2) to mitigate additional trauma, youth employed various protective strategies; (3) common negative outcomes experienced by youth included internalizing behaviors, externalizing problems, and compromised physical health; and (4) youths' characteristics (e.g., rejection sensitivity, attachment style), perceived benefits, and supports influenced parentification outcomes. Future methodological and substantive directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinda K. Dariotis
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 904 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (Y.R.P.); (A.M.C.)
- The Family Resiliency Center, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Frances R. Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (F.R.C.); (M.K.N.); (K.M.F.)
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ye Rang Park
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 904 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (Y.R.P.); (A.M.C.)
- The Family Resiliency Center, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Montana K. Nowak
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (F.R.C.); (M.K.N.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Katherine M. French
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (F.R.C.); (M.K.N.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Anisa M. Codamon
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 904 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (Y.R.P.); (A.M.C.)
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Borchet J, Hooper LM, Tomek S, Schneider WS, Dębski M. Parentification in Polish Adolescents: a Prevalence Study. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2022; 15:567-583. [PMID: 35958724 PMCID: PMC9360274 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-021-00411-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the prevalence of parentification in a nationwide cross-sectional study. There were N = 47,984 Polish adolescents aged 12-21 (M = 15.60; SD = 1.98; female 52.7%, male 47.3%). The results indicated that more adolescents experienced emotional parentification (toward parents 35.9%; toward siblings 25.2%) as compared to instrumental parentification (toward parents 7.2%; toward siblings 15.5%), which is noteworthy, since emotional parentification is the most detrimental form of parentification in USA samples. Overall, 15.5% of the participants reported a sense of injustice related to their family caregiving roles and 61.2% reported satisfaction related to their family caregiving roles. The results are important given the dearth of prevalence studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa M. Hooper
- University of Northern Iowa, Center for Educational Transformation, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
| | | | - Wei S. Schneider
- University of Northern Iowa, Center for Educational Transformation, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
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Exploring Resiliency and Parentification in Polish Adolescents. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182111454. [PMID: 34769971 PMCID: PMC8583031 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Parentification is a form of distorted division of roles and responsibilities in the family where the roles of parent and child are reversed. A situation that goes beyond the child’s capabilities and exhausts resources usually yields numerous negative consequences. Nevertheless, in some circumstances, parentification may be beneficial by shaping resiliency. The main aim of the study was to examine the relations between parentification characteristics and resiliency. There were 208 adolescents (Mage = 14.55; SDage = 1.00) who participated in the study. Resiliency was evaluated using the Polish Scale for Children and Adolescents SPP-18. Parentification level was measured with the polish Parentification Questionnaire for Youth. The analyses revealed significant relations between parentification and resiliency dimensions. The relations were different based on the participant’s gender. The obtained results underline the role of resiliency in shaping the perception of family role dysfunctions such as parentification.
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Borchet J, Lewandowska-Walter A, Połomski P, Peplińska A, Hooper LM. The Relations Among Types of Parentification, School Achievement, and Quality of Life in Early Adolescence: An Exploratory Study. Front Psychol 2021; 12:635171. [PMID: 33854465 PMCID: PMC8039449 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.635171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Children who experience parentification may have trouble performing developmental tasks due to being overwhelmed by their family caregiving roles and responsibilities. Past studies have found that parentification is negatively associated with academic achievement. However, most of these studies are limited in that they are retrospective and examine the association but not the mechanisms shaping them. The aim of the study was to explore to what extent diverse types of parentification relate to academic achievement and to what extent these relations are mediated by self-reported quality of life among adolescents. The study sample was composed of Polish early adolescents (N = 191; age: M = 14.61; SD = 1.26). Types of parentification were measured with the Parentification Questionnaire for Youth, and quality of life was assessed with KidScreen27. School achievement was measured based on mean semester grade. We explored the associations among study variables and performed six mediation models in the planned analyses. Overall, bivariate relations were significant in a theoretically expected way, although the effect sizes for these associations were rather small. In the mediation analyses, the results showed that four of the six models were not significant. Different from previous studies, instrumental parentification was positively related to school achievement. Additionally, this positive association was mediated by adolescents' general quality of life. Taken together, the findings were similar and different from the empirical literature base on types of parentification and select outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judyta Borchet
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Gdan´sk, Gdan´sk, Poland
| | | | - Piotr Połomski
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Gdan´sk, Gdan´sk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Peplińska
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Gdan´sk, Gdan´sk, Poland
| | - Lisa M Hooper
- Schindler Education Center, Center for Educational Transformation, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, United States
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