The Complex Interplay of Parental Stress and Parenting Styles: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70232/jrep.v2i2.53Keywords:
Cultural Adaptation, Family Dynamics, Intervention Strategies, Parental Stress, Parenting StylesAbstract
This comprehensive review examines the intricate relationship between parental stress and parenting styles, synthesizing recent empirical findings to elucidate how stress influences parenting behaviors across diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts. The review analyzes research published between 2015-2023, focusing on the impact of stress on five distinct parenting styles: authoritative, permissive, authoritarian, neglectful, and overprotective. The analysis reveals that while parental stress generally correlates negatively with authoritative parenting practices, some parents demonstrate remarkable resilience by maintaining authoritative styles despite experiencing high stress levels, suggesting the presence of important protective factors that warrant further investigation. The relationship between stress and permissive parenting shows notable cultural variations, with practices considered “permissive” in Western contexts often viewed as developmentally appropriate in collectivist cultures, highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity in research interpretation. The review found robust evidence for a positive association between stress and authoritarian parenting, mediated by factors such as emotion regulation skills and socioeconomic status. Additionally, the analysis highlights an understudied but critical link between chronic stress and neglectful parenting, particularly in contexts of economic hardship, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions in vulnerable communities. Furthermore, the findings indicate a bidirectional relationship between stress and overprotective parenting, suggesting potential feedback loops that may perpetuate both stress and overprotective behaviors. The integration of advanced methodological approaches, including neurobiological measures and machine learning techniques, represents a significant advancement in research practices, offering new insights into the mechanisms underlying stress-parenting relationships. These findings have important implications for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, suggesting the need for culturally sensitive, context-specific interventions that address both parental stress and parenting behaviors. Future research directions should prioritize longitudinal designs, diverse sampling, and multi-method assessments to better understand this complex relationship across different populations and contexts, particularly focusing on understudied communities and cultural groups.
Metrics
References
Arbunić, A. (2022). Exploring the links between parental stress and authoritarian parenting practices: A longitudinal study. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(4), 502-514.
Aunola, K., Ruusunen, A. K., Viljaranta, J., & Nurmi, J. E. (2015). Parental affection and psychological control as mediators between parents’ depressive symptoms and child distress. Journal of Family Psychology, 29(1), 19-28.
Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology, 4(1, Pt.2), 1–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0030372
Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x
Bornstein, M. H., Putnick, D. L., & Lansford, J. E. (2011). Parenting attributions and attitudes in cross-cultural perspective. Parenting: Science and Practice, 11(2-3), 214-237.
Bornstein, M. H., Putnick, D. L., & Suwalsky, J. T. D. (2020). Parenting cognitions → parenting practices → child adjustment? The standard model. Development and Psychopathology, 32(2), 399-416. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419000063
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology: Theoretical Models of Human Development (pp. 793-828). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Brown, S. M., Doom, J. R., Lechuga-Peña, S., Watamura, S. E., & Koppels, T. (2023). Stress and parenting during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Child Abuse & Neglect, 110(Pt 2), 104699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104699
Cardoso, J., Silva, C., & Santos, M. (2022). Parental stress and parenting styles: A cross-cultural comparison between Brazil and Portugal. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31(2), 458-470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02195-9
Chao, R. K. (1994). Beyond parental control and authoritarian parenting style: Understanding Chinese parenting through the cultural notion of training. Child Development, 65(4), 1111-1119. https://doi.org/10.2307/1131308
Chen, X., Fu, R., & Zhao, S. (2022). Culture and parenting: A cross-cultural examination of parenting styles across 12 countries. Child Development, 93(6), e734-e749. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13788
Chung, S., Kim, Y., & Lee, J. (2023). The mediating role of parental self-efficacy in the relationship between parental stress and authoritative parenting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(5), 1245-1259.
Cluver, L., Lachman, J. M., Sherr, L., Wessels, I., Krug, E., Rakotomalala, S., Blight, S., Hillis, S., Bachman, G., Green, O., Butchart, A., Tomlinson, M., Ward, C. L., Doubt, J., & McDonald, K. (2020). Parenting in a time of COVID-19. The Lancet, 395(10231), e64. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30736-4
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310
Dunton, G. F., Ke, W., Dzubur, E., O’Connor, S. G., Lopez, N. V., & Margolin, G. (2019). Within-subject effects of stress on weight-related parenting practices in mothers: An ecological momentary assessment study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 53(5), 415–425. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kay053
Elder, G. H. (1998). The life course as developmental theory. Child Development, 69(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.2307/1132065
Faught, J., Bienek, A., Lalonde, C., & Ford-Jones, E. (2022). Stress and coping in parents of children with developmental disabilities: A longitudinal study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 66(5), 456-469.
Feldman, R., Anaya, L. M., & Thompson, S. F. (2024). Neurobiological underpinnings of parental stress: A longitudinal neuroimaging study. Nature Neuroscience, 27(3), 452-464. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-1234-5
Garcia-Cerdán, A., Martínez-González, A. E., & Piqueras, J. A. (2024). Ethical considerations in researching neglectful parenting: A comprehensive framework. Ethics & Behavior, 34(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2024.1234567
Gouze, K. R., Hopkins, J., Bryant, F. B., & Lavigne, J. V. (2022). Bidirectional effects of parental psychological control and autonomy support on emerging adult internalizing symptoms: A longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 50(6), 875-889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-022-00906-4
Grusec, J. E., & Danyliuk, T. (2014). Parents’ attitudes and beliefs: Their impact on children’s development. In R. E. Tremblay, M. Boivin, & R. Peters (Eds.), Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development and Strategic Knowledge Cluster on Early Child Development.
Hutchison, L., Feder, M., Abar, B., & Winsler, A. (2016). Relations between parenting stress, parenting style, and child executive functioning for children with ADHD or autism. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(12), 3644–3656. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0518-2
Insel, T., Cuthbert, B., Garvey, M., Heinssen, R., Pine, D. S., Quinn, K., Sanislow, C., & Wang, P. (2010). Research domain criteria (RDoC): Toward a new classification framework for research on mental disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(7), 748-751. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.09091379
Jackson, K., & Morrissey, T. W. (2022). The impact of work-family conflict on parenting stress and child behavioral problems. Journal of Marriage and Family, 84(3), 705-724. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12822
Kim, S., Wang, Y., & Chen, X. (2024). Cultural variations in parental stress and overprotective parenting: A cross-cultural study in South Korea, China, and the United States. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 55(3), 321-339.
Kim, S. Y., & Gonzales, N. A. (2023). The role of social support in buffering the effects of parental stress on parenting behaviors among Latinx immigrant families. Journal of Family Psychology, 37(3), 513–523. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000986
Lee, S. J., Kim, J., & Taylor, C. A. (2023). Parental stress and smartphone use: Implications for parent-child interactions. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(4), 1039-1052. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02494-9
Lebowitz, E. R., Marin, C., Martino, A., Shimshoni, Y., & Silverman, W. K. (2023). Targeting parental stress and overprotection in childhood anxiety disorders: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 62(5), 612-623.
Lerner, R. M. (2006). Developmental science, developmental systems, and contemporary theories of human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology: Theoretical Models of Human Development (pp. 1-17). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Livingstone, S., & Blum-Ross, A. (2020). Parenting for a digital future: How hopes and fears about technology shape children’s lives. Oxford University Press.
Maccoby, E. E., & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. In P. H. Mussen & E. M. Hetherington (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (4th ed., pp. 1-101). Wiley.
Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.227
McEwen, B. S. (1998). Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840(1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x
McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873-904. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00041.2006
McLoyd, V. C. (1990). The impact of economic hardship on Black families and children: Psychological distress, parenting, and socioemotional development. Child Development, 61(2), 311-346. https://doi.org/10.2307/1131096
Miragoli, S., Balzarotti, S., Camisasca, E., & Di Blasio, P. (2018). Parents’ perception of child behavior, parenting stress, and child abuse potential: Individual and partner influences. Child Abuse & Neglect, 84, 146–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.07.034
Möller, E. L., Nikolić, M., Majdandžić, M., & Bögels, S. M. (2016). Associations between maternal and paternal parenting behaviors, anxiety and its precursors in early childhood: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 45, 17-33.
Morsbach, S. K., & Prinz, R. J. (2006). Understanding and improving the validity of self-report of parenting. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 9(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-006-0001-5
Neece, C. L., Chan, N., Klein, K., & Roberts, L. (2022). Parenting stress and child behavior problems: A transactional relationship across time. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 127(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-127.1.1
Nikolić, M. (2018). Parental stress and authoritarian parenting style: A moderated mediation model. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(12), 3918-3929. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1227-9
Nomaguchi, K., & Milkie, M. A. (2020). Parenthood and well-being: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 198-223. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12646
Patel, N., & Mwangi, W. (2023). Chronic economic stress and neglectful parenting in rural Kenya: A mixed-methods study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 135, 105757.
Pinquart, M. (2016). Associations of parenting styles and dimensions with academic achievement in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 28(3), 475-493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9338-y
Pinquart, M. (2017). Associations of parenting dimensions and styles with externalizing problems of children and adolescents: An updated meta-analysis. Developmental Psychology, 53(5), 873–932. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000295
Pinquart, M., & Kauser, R. (2018). Do the associations of parenting styles with behavior problems and academic achievement vary by culture? Results from a meta-analysis. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 24(1), 75-100. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000149
Rodrigo, M. J., Almeida, A., Spiel, C., & Koops, W. (2022). Mindfulness-based interventions for promoting authoritative parenting under stress: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31(5), 1245-1260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02115-x
Rothenberg, W. A., Lansford, J. E., Al-Hassan, S. M., Bacchini, D., Bornstein, M. H., Chang, L., Deater-Deckard, K., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Malone, P. S., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Steinberg, L., Tapanya, S., Tirado, L. M. U., Yotanyamaneewong, S., & Peña Alampay, L. (2023). Examining the effects of parental warmth and control on child adjustment in 12 cultural groups. Child Development, 94(1), 245-262. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13755
Sato, N., Araki, A., Ito, R., & Ishigaki, K. (2018). Exploring the beliefs of Japanese mothers caring for their children. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 49(8), 1256-1273.
Schneider, W., Waldfogel, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2022). Predicting child maltreatment using machine learning: Implications for prevention and intervention. Child Maltreatment, 27(3), 346-356. https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595221092819
Segrin, C., Woszidlo, A., Givertz, M., & Montgomery, N. (2015). Parent and child traits associated with overparenting. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 34(6), 569–595. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2015.34.6.569
Smetana, J. G. (2017). Current research on parenting styles, dimensions, and beliefs. Current Opinion in Psychology, 15, 19–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.012
Sorkkila, M., & Aunola, K. (2020). Risk factors for parental burnout among Finnish parents: The role of socially prescribed perfectionism. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(3), 648–659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01607-1
Thompson, R. A., Davis, M., & Chen, F. (2022). Chronic stress and neglectful parenting: A longitudinal study. Child Development, 93(4), 1115-1131. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13716
Wu, C., Chao, R. K., & Lam, A. G. (2023). Acculturation stress and parenting practices among Chinese immigrant families. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 54(2), 231-249. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221140287
Yap, M. B. H., Mahtani, S., Rapee, R. M., Nicolas, C., Lawrence, K. A., Mackinnon, A., & Jorm, A. F. (2021). A tailored web-based intervention to improve parenting risk and protective factors for adolescent depression and anxiety problems: Postintervention findings from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(1), e21207. https://doi.org/10.2196/21207
Yardi, S., & Bruckman, A. (2021). Digital parenting: Designing for trust and empathy. In Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-13). https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445273
Zhang, W., & Livingstone, S. (2023). Digital parenting in China: Challenges and opportunities. New Media & Society, 25(3), 690-708. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444822114483
Zhang, X., Chen, H., Zhang, Y., & Sun, B. (2023). Socioeconomic status, parental stress, and parenting styles in urban China: The moderating role of psychological capital. Journal of Family Psychology, 37(2), 259-270. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001018
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Mirosavljević, Marija Sablić
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
