What Do Mothers Make Adolescents Feel Guilty About? Incidents, Reactions, and Relation to Depression

Abstract

We found mothers' history of depression and symptoms of depression among their adolescent children were both associated with the type of events that mothers made adolescents feel guilty about and with the mothers' reactions to those events. Adolescents (20 male, 23 female) described incidents in which their mothers made them feel guilty and what happened afterward. Offspring of mothers with (versus without) a history of depression more often reported guilt when not at fault and over failing to meet maternal needs; reactions did not resolve matters and involved unregulated maternal emotions. Adolescents of mothers without a depression history more often felt guilty about specific events (e.g., breaking rules, bad grades) and reactions resulted in closure (through discipline, apologies, or forgiveness). Adolescents' depressive symptoms were more severe when incidents were unresolved and involved maternal emotions and less severe when incidents were specific. In addition, maternal use of self-serving forms of guilt induction related to adolescent and parent depression.

Perceived Parental Rearing Practices, Supportive School Environment, and Self-Reported Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Lithuanian Secondary School Students

“…Literature suggests that parental guilt induction is associated with internalizing problems in children (Donatelli et al, 2007). Specifically Rakow et al (2009) findings indicate that higher levels of parental guilt induction were related to higher levels of child internalizing problems when considered in the context of more traditionally assessed parenting variables.…”

“…Specifically Rakow et al (2009) findings indicate that higher levels of parental guilt induction were related to higher levels of child internalizing problems when considered in the context of more traditionally assessed parenting variables. Donatelli et al (2007) found that adolescents' depressive symptoms were more severe when incidents were unresolved and involved maternal emotions and less severe when incidents were specific. That it is unresolved, undirected, and unalleviated guilt feelings that hold the greatest potential for destructiveness (Donatelli et al, 2007).…”

“…Donatelli et al (2007) found that adolescents' depressive symptoms were more severe when incidents were unresolved and involved maternal emotions and less severe when incidents were specific. That it is unresolved, undirected, and unalleviated guilt feelings that hold the greatest potential for destructiveness (Donatelli et al, 2007). However, studies that address the role of guilt induction to later outcomes are not numerous and most of them are exploring links between parental guilt induction and child internalizing problems in samples of depressed mothers (e.g., Donatelli et al, 2007;Rakow et al, 2009;McKee et al, 2008).…”

“…That it is unresolved, undirected, and unalleviated guilt feelings that hold the greatest potential for destructiveness (Donatelli et al, 2007). However, studies that address the role of guilt induction to later outcomes are not numerous and most of them are exploring links between parental guilt induction and child internalizing problems in samples of depressed mothers (e.g., Donatelli et al, 2007;Rakow et al, 2009;McKee et al, 2008). In a non-clinical sample (Taylor et al, 2011), for mother's psychological control, results were consistent with past research suggesting that parent's use of control tactics including guilt or anxiety induction or love withdrawal are linked to poorer functioning in adolescents.…”

Predictors of mental pollution: The contribution of religion, parenting strategies, and childhood trauma

“…As a result, guilt induction might mirror the hypothesized relationship between religiosity and mental pollution. Two forms of parental guilt-induction have been identified: (a) self-serving elicitation, in which the parent over-emphasizes the sacrifices he or she has made for the child while simultaneously limiting the child's autonomy; and (b) disparagement, in which the parent perseverates over the child's (even minor) transgressions and inappropriately places blames on the child (Donatelli, Bybee, and Buka, 2007). Research suggests that chronic exposure to high levels of parental guilt induction interferes with the child's autonomy, emotional and social growth, and management of interpersonal conflicts (Rakow, Forehand, McKee, Coffelt, and Fear, 2009).…”