(PS4-B31) Teens and Their Parents: A Cluster-analytic Approach to Understanding Perceived Parenting Quality, Psychopathology, and Risk-taking

Adolescence is characterized by the incidence of several forms of psychopathology and elevated risk-taking with several salient contributing factors. Of those factors, parenting is related to adolescent risk-taking with considerable research focusing on sexual risk-taking (e.g., Clawson & Reese-Weber, 2003; Huebner & Howell, 2003; Parkes et al., 2011; Somers & Ali, 2011) and comparatively less (e.g., Hindelang et al., 2001; Wolff & Crockett, 2011) concerned with risk-taking more broadly. Limited research has investigated perceived parenting quality and adolescent psychopathology (e.g., internalizing and externalizing symptoms). The current investigation bridged these bodies of literature to better understand how adolescents’ parental satisfaction impacts psychopathology as measured by the Youth Self-Report (YSR; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) and risk-taking measured on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS; CDC, 2006). Given the multifaceted nature of parenting as a construct, a two-step cluster-analytic approach (e.g., Chiu et al., 2001) was used to group 107 community-recruited adolescents (Mage = 15.5, SD = 1.4; 43% girls) based on their parental satisfaction on the Youth Happiness with Parents Scale (Leah et al., 2001). Results produced a two-cluster solution including (1) adolescents who were generally very happy ( > 80% happiness) with their parents (referred to as Satisfied Youth; n = 58) and (2) adolescents who reported low to moderate levels of happiness (37- 58%; Unsatisfied Youth; n = 49) across domains of discipline, schoolwork, household rules, communication, rewards, curfew, chores, and friends. Interestingly, Unsatisfied Youth reported a significantly earlier age of first alcohol consumption compared to their counterparts (Cohen’s d = .57). Additionally, externalizing symptoms and behaviors differed between clusters; Unsatisfied Youth had more externalizing problems (d = .45) and aggressive behaviors (d = .42) compared to Satisfied Youth. Other externalizing symptoms (e.g., oppositional defiant and conduct problems) and risk-taking behaviors (e.g., current alcohol and substance use) were not different across groups; contrary to previous research, parenting did not impact sexual safety/risk-taking (age of first sexual activity, total numbers of partners, use of protection). Surprisingly, Satisfied Youth and Unsatisfied Youth did not differ significantly on internalizing symptoms (e.g., affective complaints). Findings may be explained several ways; for example, adolescents’ dissatisfaction with parenting may prompt acting out (i.e., externalizing symptoms, earlier alcohol use) more so than internalization (e.g., affective changes). Alternatively, parenting quality may be negatively impacted by adolescents’ externalizing symptoms. Implications for prevention and intervention will be discussed.