The mediating role of resilience in the relationship between helicopter parenting and several indicators of mental health among emerging adults

Abstract

AbstractHelicopter parenting has received much attention in the last decade. The growing literature on this phenomenon illustrates the negative consequences of helicopter parenting. The detrimental effects of helicopter parenting on emerging adults may be especially more present in collectivist cultures. Studies carried out with this population have demonstrated that mental health problems among this group are more prevalent than those of other groups. Hence, an understanding of the factors affecting mental health at this age is critical. The deleterious effects of helicopter parenting on mental health among emerging adults are well‐documented. However, there is a lack of literature investigating the mediating role of resilience between helicopter parenting and mental health issues (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). To bridge this gap, we collected data from 402 emerging adults (M = 21.31, SD = 2.01). Our results revealed that although helicopter parenting was a risk factor for several indicators of mental health among emerging adults, resilience mitigates the potential detrimental effect of helicopter parenting.