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Parent Relationships, Emotion Regulation, Psychosocial Maturity and College Student Alcohol Use Problems

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Abstract

This study tested associations between problems in parent-youth relationships and problems with alcohol use among college students (N = 1592) using structural equation modeling. Hypotheses were that relationships between both substance-specific parenting factors (parental drinking) and non-substance-specific parenting factors (parental intrusive control and lack of support) and college student drinking behaviors would be mediated by the developmental tasks of managing difficult emotions and establishing a mature psychosocial identity. Sex, ethnicity and age were entered as control variables in the analyses and were tested for moderating effects. Results showed that the unconstrained model for males and females differed significantly from a model in which the two groups were constrained to be similar. Among young women, emotion regulation and psychosocial maturity were partial mediators of the effects of parent problems on alcohol use problems. Among young men, parent problems were indirectly related to alcohol use problems through emotion regulation. Implications for alcohol use prevention activities on college campuses are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA

    Judith L. Fischer

  2. Department Human Development & Family Studies, Penn State University DuBois, College Place, DuBois, PA, 15801, USA

    Larry F. Forthun

  3. Department of Counseling Psychology, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, 97219-7899, USA

    Boyd W. Pidcock

  4. School of Human Ecology, Louisiana Tech University, P.O. Box 3167, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA

    Duane A. Dowd

Authors
  1. Judith L. Fischer
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  2. Larry F. Forthun
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  3. Boyd W. Pidcock
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  4. Duane A. Dowd
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Correspondence to Judith L. Fischer.

Additional information

Research interests in college student alcohol misuse.

Research interests in adolescent psychosocial maturity.

Research interests in young adult relationships.

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Fischer, J.L., Forthun, L.F., Pidcock, B.W. et al. Parent Relationships, Emotion Regulation, Psychosocial Maturity and College Student Alcohol Use Problems. J Youth Adolescence 36, 912–926 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9126-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9126-6

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