| This study explored the relationship between parenting style differences and adolescent substance use severity. Participant families included 22 male and 13 female adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 and their two parents. Data were gathered as part of Project Iowa Strengthening Communities -- Youth (SCY), a SAMHSA funded project. Parents were classified into four parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, neglectful, and indulgent) based on their scores of two parental practices measures: positive parenting/involvement (PPINV) and monitoring (MON). Congruence in parenting style was hypothesized to be associated with the lowest substance use severity at baseline. Age was assumed to be positively related to substance use severity and a possible relationship between age and congruence in parenting styles was investigated. Males were assumed to have greater substance use severity than females, and a possible relationship between gender and congruence in parenting styles was investigated. A significant relationship was found between parenting style difference and substance use severity. Adolescents were found to be 80% less likely to receive the severe rating at intake if his or her parents had mixed styles. The results of this study suggest that the specific combination of parenting styles (not just whether the parents have the same style) is an important factor in predicting adolescent behavioral outcomes. As predicted, age was found to be positively correlated with substance use severity, and males were found to be significantly more likely to be classified as severe at intake. Both age and gender were found to be significantly related to differences in parenting styles. Parents of females were found to have greater total differences in styles than parents of males, and parents of older children were found to have greater total differences in styles than younger children. Significant interactions were found between parenting style differences, age, gender, and substance use severity. In light of these findings, future research should further investigate these interactions and their combined effect on adolescent behavioral outcomes. |
