Moderating Role of Parent-Child Relationships between Helicopter Parenting and College Students’ Self-Esteem and Depression

Wyndsor II

The current study will examine the dynamics among helicopter parenting, parent-child relationships, and college students’ psychosocial outcomes, such as self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Helicopter parenting is commonly defined as parental over-involvement to their children’s live, which can negatively affect children’s self-esteem and depressive symptoms since helicopter parenting, in general, is argued as not developmentally appropriate parenting for young adult children. However, the negative impact of helicopter parenting can be buffered when children have positive relationships with parents. Hence, the current study will examine whether college student’s self-esteem and depressive symptoms are affected by helicopter parenting and whether the parent-child relationships can moderate the link between helicopter parenting and college students’ self-esteem and depressive symptoms. The study uses about 208 undergraduate students at one of major universities in southern region in the U.S.