Parenting Style and Subjective Well-Being in Children and Youth: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Parenting styles influence child development. Some theories and numerous studies have shown a close relationship between parenting style and youths’ subjective well-being; however, the results of different studies were inconsistent. Hence, our meta-analysis aimed to determine the overall relationship between positive and negative parenting styles on subjective well-being (including life satisfaction, positive and negative affect) and any moderating effects between them. After searching and screening the literature, 155 studies were included in the analysis, comprising 79,979 participants and 417 effect sizes. The results showed that positive parenting style was significantly positively associated with subjective well-being ( r = .318, 95% CI = .287 to .348), life satisfaction ( r = .358, 95% CI = .326 to .389), and positive affect ( r = .355, 95% CI = .303 to .406), but significantly negatively associated with negative affect ( r = −.153, 95% CI = −.207 to −.098). Negative parenting style was significantly negatively related to subjective well-being ( r = −.173, 95% CI = −.205 to −.152), life satisfaction ( r = −.144, 95% CI = −.175 to −.112), and positive affect ( r = −.078, 95% CI = −.129 to −.027), but significantly positively related to negative affect ( r = .204, 95% CI = .149 to .257). Moderating effect results showed that the relationship between parenting style and subjective well-being is moderated by age, gender, and cultural background. Findings highlight the benefits of positive parenting styles in promoting healthy child development and well-being.