Interpersonal Competence: A Mediator Between ODD Problems and Parent-Child Relationship Discord.

A central requirement of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) consists of difficulties with interpersonal relationships. As emerging adults' transition into adulthood and seek more autonomy from parents, it is important to examine how ODD problems and parent-child discord are indirectly associated through interpersonal competencies. The current study examined the indirect effects between ODD problems in emerging adults and parent-child discord through multiple interpersonal competencies as well as the additional differences among parent-child gender dyads. Emerging adults (N = 599 individuals aged 18 to 25 years; M = 19.60, SD = 1.40; 68% females) were recruited via an online research platform and completed online survey measures of ODD problems, parent-child relationship discord, and interpersonal competence. Indirect effects were significant for the mother-daughter dyad only. Additional results, limitations, and implications are discussed.

Emerging Adult Risky Sexual Behavior: The Influence of Perceived Parental Religiosity and Perceived Parent-Child Relationship Quality in the USA.

In the southern USA, where religiosity is higher than in other parts of the country, many researchers have questioned if the religiosity of parents plays a role in emerging adults' risky sexual behavior (RSB). Specifically, research suggests that certain aspects of religiosity (i.e., conservatism) are especially detrimental when examining RSB. In the current study, college students (N = 585, 65.5% women, 69.2% White, 25.0% Black) completed the following self-report measures: the Stearns-McKinney Assessment of Religious Traits - Short Form, the Parental Environment Questionnaire, and the Student Sexual Risks Scale. Results of path analysis (reported statistics have p < .05) indicated that perceived maternal relationship quality had a significant negative association with RSB in emerging adult women, ß = -.27, and men, ß = -.20; perceived paternal relationship quality also associated negatively with RSB in women, ß = -.12, and men, ß = -.20. Of all the parental religiosity variables, only perceived maternal conservatism had a significant effect, where it demonstrated a positive association with RSB in women, ß = .34, and men, ß = -.20. These results suggest that perceived parent-child relationship quality and perceived maternal conservative religiosity influence emerging adult RSB. This study presents novel insight into the specific aspects of perceived parental religiosity that, at least in the current study, are found to influence RSB.

Family Functioning Profiles in Emerging Adults: Associations with Personal and Parental Psychological Problems.

Although recent research has examined family profiles in younger children, emerging adults have not been examined as extensively despite evidence that families continue to be important to emerging adults. The current study examined family functioning profiles and associated psychological problems of both offspring and parents from the perspective of 585 college-attending emerging adults. Results supported six profiles where lower functioning groups generally had more psychological problems relative to higher functioning groups and with specific maternal and paternal differences. The current study advances family functioning research by demonstrating that family profiles can be identified and associated with psychological problems for both parents and emerging adults.

Parental Psychopathology and Oppositional Defiant Problems in Emerging Adults: Moderated Mediation by Temperament and Gender.

Previous studies have indicated that prenatal maternal depressive symptoms predicted toddler temperament, which led to childhood irritability, an important component to ODD problems. In addition, children with ODD problems continue to have difficulties as they transition into emerging adulthood. The current study examined whether present-day emerging adult temperament mediated the relationship between perceived parental psychopathology (e.g., depressive, anxiety, and antisocial problems) and emerging adult ODD problems (e.g., affective and behavioral components). Further, emerging adult and parent gender was examined as a moderator (i.e., moderated mediation). The current study asked a sample of 973 emerging adults to report upon the psychological problems of their parents as well as their own temperament and ODD problems. Negative affect and effortful control mediated the relationship between maternal anxiety problems and female affective and behavioral ODD problems. Similarly, effortful control mediated the relationship between paternal antisocial problems and male behavioral ODD problems. Significant indirect effects occurred for the mother-daughter and father-son dyads only, suggesting moderated mediation by child and parent gender. Thus, temperament may be one process which explains the relationship between parental psychopathology and emerging adult ODD problems, and this process differed by parent and child gender.

Stress-Buffering Role of Social Support during COVID-19.

In order to reduce the high infection rate of COVID-19, individuals began to engage in self-isolation amid a time of uncertainty and worry. Given that social support can be protective against the negative effects of distress on mental and physical health, the lack of support may negatively impact individuals during their self-isolation. Thus, the current study examined the role of self-isolation on feelings of stress, the perception and reception of social support, and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 405 college students were asked to report on the amount of self-isolation in which they were engaging, worry about COVID-19, psychological health, and received and perceived social support. Results indicated that when the length of time in self-isolation was taken into account, perceived social support buffered the connection between worry about COVID-19 and psychological health. These results indicate that social support, worry about COVID-19, and self-isolation may influence individuals' psychological health during times of stress.

Con el fin de disminuir el alto índice de contagio de la COVID-19, las personas comenzaron a autoaislarse en medio de un momento de incertidumbre y preocupación. Teniendo en cuenta que el apoyo social puede ser protector contra los efectos negativos del distrés en la salud mental y física, la falta de apoyo puede afectar negativamente a las personas durante su autoaislamiento. Por lo tanto, el presente estudio analizó el papel que desempeña el autoaislamiento en los sentimientos de estrés, la percepción y la recepción de apoyo social y los problemas de salud mental durante la pandemia de la COVID-19. Se solicitó a una muestra de 405 estudiantes universitarios que informen sobre la cantidad de autoaislamiento que estaban haciendo, las preocupaciones acerca de la COVID-19, la salud psicológica y el apoyo social recibido y percibido. Los resultados indicaron que cuando se tuvo en cuenta el periodo de tiempo en autoaislamiento, el apoyo social percibido amortiguó la conexión entre la preocupación acerca de la COVID-19 y la salud psicológica. Estos resultados indican que el apoyo social, la preocupación acerca de la COVID-19 y el autoaislamiento pueden influir en la salud psicológica de las personas durante momentos de estrés.

Links between parental socialization of coping on affect: Mediation by emotion regulation and social exclusion.

INTRODUCTION: Parental socialization of coping strategies is associated with various emotion regulation difficulties and continues to impact individuals during emerging adulthood. As emerging adults' transition into adulthood, they experience social stressors that put their emotion regulation skills to the test. METHODS: The current study examined the associations of the parental socialization of coping strategies and emotion regulation difficulties with emerging adult positive and negative affect in response to social exclusion. Emerging adults (N = 402, 206 males and 196 females) from a large Southern university in the United States were recruited for the study. Participants completed survey measures of parental socialization of coping, positive and negative affect, and emotion regulation difficulties before engaging in a social exclusion task called Cyberball. After the task, participants completed a measure of positive and negative affect again. RESULTS: Primary parental socialization of coping was associated with emotion regulation difficulties, both of which were associated with affect after the exclusion task, thus supporting the indirect effect of parental coping socialization on affect through a preexisting variable (i.e., emotion regulation) and a causal manipulation (i.e., exclusion task). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of parental suggestions of coping strategies and emotion regulation difficulties during emerging adulthood indicate that parents continue to be an important point of intervention as individuals' transition to adulthood.

Perceived Parental Anxiety and Depressive Problems and Emerging Adult Oppositional Defiant Problems: Moderated Mediation by Psychological and Physical Maltreatment and Gender.

Recent studies have argued that Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) problems continue into emerging adulthood; however, few studies have examined ODD problems in this population. Moreover, previous studies have found that corporal punishment mediated the relationship between maternal anxiety/depression and child ODD problems in young children and that parental psychopathology is likely to affect child ODD. This study examined how maternal as well as paternal maltreatment (i.e., psychological and physical) mediated the relationship between parental anxiety/depressive problems and emerging adult ODD problems (i.e., irritability and defiance). Furthermore, child and parent gender were examined as moderators (i.e., moderated mediation). Participants included 1,012 emerging adults who completed questionnaires about parental psychological and physical maltreatment, parental anxiety and depression, and affective and behavioral ODD symptoms. Results suggested that mediation occurred for the father-daughter dyad along the perceived paternal depressive problems â†’ psychological and physical maltreatment â†’ irritability paths and for the mother-son dyad along the perceived maternal depressive and anxiety problems â†’ psychological maltreatment â†’ defiance paths. Given that mediation occurred for only these gender dyads, moderated mediation was suggested.

Estudios recientes han argumentado que los problemas del Trastorno negativista desafiante (ODD por sus siglas en inglés) continúan en la adultez emergente; sin embargo, son pocos los estudios que han examinado problemas de ODD en esta población. Más aun, estudios previos han encontrado que el castigo corporal mediaba la relación entre la ansiedad/depresión maternal y los problemas infantiles de ODD en niños jóvenes y que la psicopatología parental probablemente afecta el ODD del niño. Este estudio examina cómo el maltrato maternal, así como el paternal (es decir, psicológico y físico) mediaron la relación entre problemas parentales de ansiedad/depresión y problemas de ODD en adultos emergentes (es decir, irritabilidad y desafío). Además, se examinó el género de niños y padres como moderadores (es decir, mediación moderada). Los participantes incluyeron a 1012 adultos emergentes que llenaron cuestionarios acerca del maltrato parental psicológico y físico, ansiedad y depresión parentales, y síntomas afectivos y conductuales de ODD. Los resultados sugirieron que la mediación ocurre con la díada padre-hijo por las vías de problemas paternales percibidos de depresión → maltrato psicológico y físico → irritabilidad, y con la díada madre-hijo por las vías de problemas maternales percibidos de depresión y ansiedad → maltrato psicológico → desafío. Dado que la mediación solo ocurrió para estas díadas de género, se sugirió una mediación moderada.

Relationships Among Emerging Adult Psychological Problems, Maltreatment, and Parental Psychopathology: Moderation by Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

Current research supports clear relationships between parental psychopathology, parental maltreatment, and emerging adult child psychopathology. Less research has examined how the role of the parent-child relationship influences these existing associations. The current study tested two models that examined the moderating effect of parent-child relationship quality on parental psychopathology and emerging adult mental health as well as the effect on parental maltreatment and emerging adult mental health. It was expected that high parent-child relationship quality would buffer against the negative effects of parental psychopathology and maltreatment while enhancing the effects of functional parenting characteristics. Participants included 1,452 emerging adults, predominantly Caucasian (73.3%) college students who completed surveys on their mental health, recent experienced maltreatment, and their parents' mental health problems. Results suggested lowest rates of mental health problems for emerging adults were associated with higher parent-child relationship quality and lower parental psychological problems, whereas negative outcomes were associated with higher parental psychopathology, regardless of parent-child relationship quality. Additionally, physical maltreatment was associated with lower rates of mental health concerns in the context of higher mother-daughter relationship quality. Results emphasize the continuing impact of the parent-child relationship, particularly the mother-daughter relationship, on emerging adults' mental health. Moreover, the current study demonstrates the continuing influence of parents on their emerging adult children.

Las investigaciones actuales respaldan las relaciones claras entre la psicopatología parental, el maltrato parental y la psicopatología del niño adulto emergente. Pocas investigaciones han analizado cómo el rol de la relación entre padres e hijos influye en estas asociaciones existentes. El presente estudio evaluó dos modelos que analizaron el efecto moderador de la calidad de la relación entre padres e hijos en la psicopatología parental y la salud mental del adulto emergente, así como el efecto en el maltrato parental y la salud mental del adulto emergente. Se esperaba que una alta calidad de la relación entre padres e hijos amortiguara los efectos negativos del maltrato y la psicopatología parental y a su vez mejorara los efectos de las características funcionales de crianza. Los participantes fueron 1452 estudiantes universitarios adultos emergentes predominantemente caucásicos (73,3%) que contestaron encuestas sobre su salud mental, el maltrato sufrido recientemente y los problemas de salud mental de sus padres. Los resultados sugirieron que los índices más bajos de problemas de salud mental en los adultos emergentes estuvieron asociados con una mejor calidad de la relación entre padres e hijos y menos problemas psicológicos de los padres, mientras que los resultados negativos estuvieron asociados con una psicopatología parental más alta, independientemente de la calidad de la relación entre padres e hijos. Además, el maltrato físico estuvo asociado con índices más bajos de preocupaciones sobre la salud mental en el contexto de una mejor calidad de la relación entre madre e hija. Los resultados destacan el efecto permanente de la relación entre padres e hijos, particularmente de la relación entre madre e hija, en la salud mental de los adultos emergentes. Además, el presente estudio demuestra la influencia continua de los padres en sus hijos adultos emergentes.

Temperament and Affective and Behavioral ODD Problems in Emerging Adults: Moderation by Gender and Perceived Parental Psychopathology.

Recent research has indicated that ODD problems persist into emerging adulthood, although mechanisms influencing ODD during emerging adulthood remain relatively unknown. Additionally, temperament and parental psychopathology both are implicated in the development of childhood ODD. Thus, the current study examined how perceived parental (i.e., maternal and paternal) psychopathology (i.e., anxiety, depressive, and antisocial problems) moderated the relationship between temperament (i.e., effortful control, negative affect, and surgency) and ODD problems (i.e., affective and behavioral) in a sample of 599 emerging adults who were instructed to complete questionnaires based on their current perceptions. Results indicated that perceived parental anxiety and antisocial problems moderated the relationship between two of the temperament variables (i.e., negative affect and effortful control) and both types of ODD problems. Moreover, these results were further moderated by participant gender. Finally, perceived parental depressive problems served as a moderator for affective problems only. Overall, results suggest that similar associations found regarding childhood ODD may be implicated when examining emerging adults, and gender moderates these associations.

Emerging Adult Risky Sexual Behavior Predicted by Parental Overprotection: Moderated Mediation Analysis.

Parental control behaviors are suggested to be related to emerging adult outcomes, such as risky sexual behavior. Although parental control behaviors are more likely to be considered protective against risky sexual behavior, the relation between parental overprotection and risky sexual behavior is unclear. Furthermore, parental overprotection may influence peer selection and prosocial behaviors in emerging adults, which may in turn influence outcomes of risky sexual behavior, as suggested by primary socialization theory. Thus, the current study investigated the relations among paternal and maternal overprotection, emerging adult peer alienation, and risky sexual behavior, and expanded on these relations by examining gender effects of both parents and children. The sample consisted of 505 participants (228 males and 277 females) ranging in age from 18 to 25 years. Analyses were conducted with AMOS path analysis and indicated that peer alienation mediated the effect between both maternal and paternal perceived overprotection and risky sexual behavior, but more strongly for males, suggesting moderated mediation. Overall, parental overprotection may be protective against risky sexual behavior via pathways that are harmful such as peer alienation, thus recommending research continues to clarify the nuances of these relations.

Se sugiere que las conductas de control parental están relacionadas con consecuencias en los adultos emergentes, como el comportamiento sexual riesgoso. Aunque las conductas de control parental son más propensas a considerarse protectoras del comportamiento sexual riesgoso, la relación entre la sobreprotección de los padres y el comportamiento sexual riesgoso es confusa. Además, la sobreprotección de los padres puede influir en la elección del grupo de pares y las conductas prosociales de los adultos emergentes, que a su vez pueden influir en consecuencias de comportamiento sexual riesgoso, como lo sugiere la teoría de la socialización primaria. Por lo tanto, el presente estudio investigó las relaciones entre la sobreprotección materna y paterna, la alienación de los pares del adulto emergente y el comportamiento sexual riesgoso, y amplió estas relaciones analizando los efectos del género de los padres y los niños. La muestra consistió en 505 participants (228 hombres y 277 mujeres) de entre 18 y 25 años. Los análisis se realizaron con el análisis de ruta AMOS, e indicaron que la alienación de los pares medió el efecto entre la sobreprotección materna y paterna percibidas y el comportamiento sexual riesgoso, pero más marcadamente en los hombres, lo cual sugirió una mediación moderada. En general, la sobreprotección parental puede proteger contra la conducta sexual riesgosa a través de vías que son perjudiciales, como la alienación de los pares, por lo tanto, se recomienda continuar con la investigación a fin de aclarar los matices de estas relaciones.

Latent Profiles of Perceived Parental Psychopathology: Associations with Emerging Adult Psychological Problems.

The understanding of the complex relations between parent and child psychopathology would be enhanced if common patterns of parental problem types or particular parent dyads were identified. The current study used latent profile analysis to allow for a person-centered approach to the examination of which parental psychopathology subgroups based on their perceived depressive, anxiety, and antisocial problems are both most common and most strongly associated with emerging adult psychopathology. Participants included 2204 emerging adults enrolled in a Southern United States university who reported on their perceptions of their parents' and their own current psychological problems. A 5-profile solution for perceived parental psychopathology was identified and represented anticipated groups (e.g., low problems, high problems, high internalizing only, high externalizing only). The largest effects of these profiles were found for emerging adult antisocial problems, and paternal profiles demonstrated larger effect sizes relative to maternal profiles. When both parents were perceived as having elevated problems, emerging adults also generally reported the highest rates of their own psychological problems. Results also suggest that perceiving as having low problems may protect against the negative effects of the other parent's antisocial problems or depressive/anxiety problems, but may not be sufficient when a parent has elevated problems across domains. Findings indicate the importance of considering varying levels of psychopathology.

Risky sexual behavior: the indirect effects between parent-child relationship quality and quality of life in emerging adults.

PURPOSE: Parent-child relationship quality is an important factor when examining adolescent's risk for problem behaviors. For this reason, many researchers have explored the impacts of parent-child relationship quality on adolescent and child behavior, yet the parent-child relationship has lasting consequences into adulthood. METHODS: The current study examined the mediating role of risky sexual behavior (as measured by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey) on the relationship between parent-child relationship quality (as measured by the Parental Environment Questionnaire) and quality of life (as measured by the World Health Organizations Quality of Life Questionnaire) beyond adolescence, during emerging adulthood. The additional moderating effects of gender were examined. Participants consisted of 507 undergraduate students (173 males, 334 females) recruited from a large university in the Southern United States between 18 and 25 years of age. RESULTS: Parent-child relationship quality was positively related to quality of life among both males and females. The indirect pathway from parent-child relationship quality to quality of life, through risky sexual behavior, was significant in females but not in males. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the parent-child relationship, specifically for females, may be a target for intervention in the prevention of risky sexual behavior in Emerging Adulthood. Further results, implications, and limitations were discussed.

Parental and Child Psychopathology: Moderated Mediation by Gender and Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

Previous literature has not examined the processes underlying the relations among parent-child relationship quality, parental psychopathology, and child psychopathology in the context of gender. Further, research examining these variables in emerging adulthood is lacking. The current study examined whether parent-child relationship quality would mediate the relation between parental and child psychopathology, and whether gender moderated these associations. Participants were emerging adults (N = 665) who reported on perceptions of their parents' and their own psychological problems as well as their parent-child relationship quality. Results indicated that the relation between parental internalizing problems and parent-child relationship quality was positive for males, and that mother-child relationship quality was related positively to psychological problems in males. This suggests that sons may grow closer to their parents (particularly their mother) who are exhibiting internalizing problems; in turn, this enmeshed relationship may facilitate transmission of psychopathology. Mediational paths were conditional upon gender, suggesting moderated mediation. Overall, the current study emphasizes that the complexities of parenting must be understood in the context of gender. Further, the mother-son dyad may particularly warrant further attention.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms and Comorbidity in Emerging Adults.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to grow in prevalence each passing year. As more children are diagnosed, it makes sense that the emerging adult and adult population with ASD also will continue to grow. Although the body of research is quite large for children with ASD, the literature for emerging adults with ASD is sparse in comparison. The current study aimed to extend existing literature further by beginning to explore the realm of emerging adulthood. Specifically, the study investigated the presence of comorbid psychiatric symptoms in emerging adults who also presented with ASD symptoms as measured by the Adult Self-Report (Rescorla and Achenbach in The Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) for ages 18 to 90 years. The use of psychological testing for treatment planning and outcomes assessment: volume 3: instruments for adults, 3rd edn. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, pp 115-152, 2004). Emerging adults were categorized as having normal, mild, moderate, or severe levels of ASD symptoms and were compared for the presence of comorbid psychiatric symptoms. Overall, results suggested that emerging adults who presented with greater ASD symptom severity were more likely to experience the presence of additional comorbid symptoms.

Distinguishing Mediational Models and Analyses in Clinical Psychology: Atemporal Associations Do Not Imply Causation.

PURPOSE: A popular way to attempt to discern causality in clinical psychology is through mediation analysis. However, mediation analysis is sometimes applied to research questions in clinical psychology when inferring causality is impossible. This practice may soon increase with new, readily available, and easy-to-use statistical advances. Thus, we here provide a heuristic to remind clinical psychological scientists of the assumptions of mediation analyses. APPROACH: We describe recent statistical advances and unpack assumptions of causality in mediation, underscoring the importance of time in understanding mediational hypotheses and analyses in clinical psychology. Example analyses demonstrate that statistical mediation can occur despite theoretical mediation being improbable. CONCLUSION: We propose a delineation of mediational effects derived from cross-sectional designs into the terms temporal and atemporal associations to emphasize time in conceptualizing process models in clinical psychology. The general implications for mediational hypotheses and the temporal frameworks from within which they may be drawn are discussed.

Parental and emerging adult psychopathology: Moderated mediation by gender and affect toward parents.

Current research indicates that children tend to view parents with psychopathology more negatively and children who hold negative perceptions of parents are at a greater risk for psychopathology. Yet, less research examines how parental psychopathology influences offspring psychopathology through affect toward parents. The current study tested a model that examined the associations among parental psychopathology, positive affect toward parents, and emerging adult psychopathology. Associations were expected to be partly indirect via positive affect toward parents and emerging adult gender was expected to moderate these associations. Results indicated gender-moderated mediation with significant effects found for males but not females. Results from the current study emphasize the importance of examining affect toward parents as a risk factor for emerging adult psychopathology. Additionally, results of the current study demonstrate the importance of examining the role of emerging adult gender as a potential moderator in these relationships.

The effects of religiosity on psychopathology in emerging adults: intrinsic versus extrinsic religiosity.

Recent research has suggested that religion may play an important role in determining mental health. Although research has examined the effects of religiosity on specific types of psychopathology, less research has examined psychopathology broadly in the context of particular aspects of religion. Thus, the current study examined intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity and a range of psychopathology in 486 emerging adult college students. Results of a MANOVA indicated a main effect for intrinsic religiosity on a range of psychopathology and an interaction effect between intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity on antisocial personality problems. Implications and limitations of the current study are discussed.

Emerging adults' stress and health: the role of parent behaviors and cognitions.

Although parent behaviors and cognitions are important for stress/health outcomes throughout development, little research examines whether cognitions mediate the relationship between parent behaviors and stress/health outcomes. As a result, the current study examined the reports of 160 emerging adults regarding their mothers' and fathers' behaviors (via the Parental Bonding Instrument and Alabama Parenting Questionnaire), their cognitions (via the Stress Appraisal Measure, Negative Mood Regulation Scale, Life Orientation Test-Revised, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Ruminative Response Scale-Abbreviated), and their stress/health outcomes (via the Perceived Stress Scale and Short-Form Health Survey). Results of this study suggested that emerging adults' cognitions partially mediated the relationship between their mothers' behaviors and their stress/health outcomes and fully mediated the relationship between their fathers' behaviors and their stress/health outcomes. Future research should examine parent behaviors as important distal variables in emerging adults' stress/health outcomes but should examine cognitions as more salient, immediate predictors of their stress/health outcomes.

Chronic illness and psychopathology in emerging adults: Moderation by parent-child relationship quality.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how parent-child relationships might moderate the effects of the presence and severity (as measured by physical quality of life) of a chronic illness on psychological problems in emerging adulthood. METHODS: The participants included 538 emerging adults (53.5% women) with a mean age of 19.04. The participants completed an online study including chronic illness questions, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief, the Parental Environment Questionnaire, and the Adult Self-Report scale. RESULTS: Endorsing a health condition significantly associated with psychological problems in emerging adult men. The three-way interaction between endorsing a health condition, physical quality of life, and maternal parent-child relationship quality significantly predicted psychological problems in emerging adult men and women. Specifically, higher maternal relationship quality was associated with a weaker relation between psychological problems and having a health condition with a low physical quality of life. DISCUSSION: The emerging adults who reported the most psychological problems also reported having a health condition, low physical quality of life, and low maternal relationship quality, highlighting that the combination of these variables predicted the highest rate of psychological problems. A low maternal relationship quality contributes to poor psychological adjustment while a high maternal relationship quality contributes to good psychological adjustment.

Chronic illness and psychological problems in emerging adults: Moderation by perceived parental distress.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to better understand if perceived parental distress moderates the effects of having a chronic illness and poor physical quality of life on psychological problems reported by emerging adults. METHODS: Participants consisted of 538 college-attending emerging adults (53.5% women; 46.5% men). Participants completed an online study that was composed of questions regarding chronic illness, the World Health Organization Quality of Life - Brief, the Adult Self-Report scale, and the Adult Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: In both emerging adult women and men, endorsing a chronic illness is significantly associated with psychological problems. Psychological problems in both emerging adult women and men were significantly predicted by the three-way interaction between endorsing a chronic illness, physical quality of life, and perceived maternal distress. Specifically, increased perceived maternal distress was associated with higher psychological problems in both emerging adult women and men with chronic illnesses and low physical quality of life. DISCUSSION: For emerging adult women and men with a chronic illness, higher perceived maternal distress was associated with poorer psychological adjustment, while lower perceived maternal distress was associated with better psychological adjustment.