Role of Home Environment, Parental Care, Parents Personality and Their Relationship to Adolescent Mental Health

Sibnath Deb, Kevin McGirr, Ban

Abstract

The study examined relationships among home environment, parents’ personality and mental health of adolescents with a focus on adjustment, anxiety, self-concept and self-confidence. A group of 370 adolescents were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and three psychological tests; subjects were selected following a two-stage sampling technique. Participation of the adolescent students in the study was voluntary. Results indicate that parental care was associated with high self-confidence while parental pressure associated with high anxiety. Fathers’ “friendliness” associated with low emotional adjustment and high self-concept while mothers’ short-temper associated with high anxiety. Disturbed families contributed to adolescent anxiety, inability to share personal problems, parental interference in personal affairs and academic pressure. Parental traits were found to negatively influence mental health, e.g., anxiety, adjustment, self-concept and self-confidence. Findings suggest a need for expanding school guidance and counseling capacity to assist parents and adolescents with developmental tasks.