Association between Parents’ Relationship, Emotion-Regulation Strategies, and Psychotic-like Experiences in Adolescents

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the association between the psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and emotion-regulation (ER) strategies of adolescents and their parents’ relationship, and we hypothesized that the parents’ relationship moderates the link between ER strategies and PLEs. We recruited a total of 2708 first-year college students (1659 males and 1049 females) aged 15–20 years (mean = 17.9). Participants completed assessments of PLEs, their use of ER strategies, and reported their parents’ relationship as harmonious, conflicting, or divorced. Regression analyses indicated that the lower the use of the emotion-reappraisal strategy, the greater the use of the emotion-suppression strategy and that parental conflict or divorce predicted the number of PLEs endorsed and the level of distress from the PLEs. The parents’ relationship moderated the association between ER strategies and distress from PLEs. Among those who reported parental conflict or divorce, their lower use of the reappraisal strategy predicted their experiencing higher levels of distress from their PLEs. This study suggested the direct and interactive influence of the parents’ relationship and ER strategies on the presence of PLEs and PLE-related distress levels among adolescents, which may represent potential intervention targets.

From hallucinations to delusions: A narrative review of psychotic-like experiences and their implications

“…53 A number of authors have recognized the relationship between family functioning (FF) and PLEs. For example, Zhan et al 54 examined the association between PLEs, emotionregulation (ER) strategies among adolescents and the possibility of a parental relationship impact. It indicated that lower use of reappraisal, greater use of suppression and parental conflict or divorce correlated with the number of PLEs endorsed.…”

Understanding Family Risk and Protective Factors That Shape Child Development

“…This Special Issue features 18 articles that examine family risk and resilience among children and adolescents across developmental stages, ranging from early childhood to late adolescence/young adulthood. A wide range of child outcomes are examined in these studies, including children’s use of electronic devices [ 1 , 2 ], maltreatment experiences [ 3 ], mental health [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], school readiness and academic functioning [ 8 ], suicidal thoughts and behaviors [ 9 ], socioemotional development [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], and resilient/adaptive functioning [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…In Quinn et al’s study, positive parenting, operationalized as parents’ supportive verbal behaviors, was identified as a promotive factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in a national sample of justice-involved Black youth aged 12–17 [ 9 ]. Zhan et al examined associations among emotion regulation, parental relationships, and psychotic-like experiences among adolescents (mean age 17.9 years) and found that positive parental relationships buffered the adverse effects of maladaptive emotional regulation patterns on distress from psychotic-like experiences [ 7 ]. Focusing on Black youth affected by community violence, Donte et al found that positive parent relationships and parent bonding predicted resilience to adverse community experiences [ 4 ].…”

“…Notably, this Special Issue includes studies that represent diverse regions, cultures, and contexts. The international studies featured in this Special Issue involve study participants from South Africa and Canada [ 6 ], China [ 7 ], Switzerland [ 13 , 14 ], Malaysia [ 2 ], and South Korea [ 1 ]. Findings from these studies offer valuable insights that enrich our understanding of cultural differences and nuances related to the influence of family risk and protective factors on child development.…”