Impact of Parenting Styles on Adolescent Psychosocial Challenges: How Self-Efficacy Builds a Protective Shield

Parenting styles have a significant impact in shaping how adolescents cope with emotional, social, and behavioral challenges. This study explored the relation of parenting styles, self-efficacy, and psychosocial problems in college students. It was hypothesized that permissive and authoritarian parenting styles would positively correlate with psychosocial problems, while authoritative parenting would show a negative relationship. Additionally, it was expected that self-efficacy significantly moderates the relationship between parenting styles and psychosocial problems. Using a correlational research design, data were collected from 120 college students aged 12-19 years. Standardized measures, including the Pediatric Symptom Checklist, Parental Authority Questionnaire, and Self-Efficacy Scale, were employed. Pearson product-moment correlation and three separate moderation analyses using Process Macro (Model 1) were conducted. The findings revealed that parenting styles significantly influence psychosocial problems. Permissive and authoritarian parenting had association with increased emotional and behavioral issues, whereas authoritative parenting demonstrated a protective effect, correlating with fewer psychosocial problems. Self-efficacy emerged as a significant moderator, buffered the negative effects of permissive and authoritarian parenting and enhanced the positive influence of authoritative parenting on psychosocial outcomes. These results underscore the critical role of self-efficacy as a protective factor in adolescent development. In order to promote improved psychological well-being, the study emphasizes the significance of parenting interventions that encourage emotional support and balanced control, as demonstrated by authoritative parenting. To improve the generalizability of these findings, future studies should examine these correlations across time and in a variety of cultural situations.