Parental psychological control and adolescent panic symptom frequency

A relatively limited research base suggests parenting practices, particularly those characterized by overcontrol, are linked to elevated risk for offspring experiencing panic symptoms. However, extant research conducted in this domain is based on adult retrospective report, and the relation between parental psychological control (parenting characterized by control attempts that intrude on the emotional development of the child) and adolescent symptoms of panic has not been examined. Moreover, few studies have examined both maternal and paternal parenting practices in relation to panic symptoms among adolescents. To address these gaps in the literature, the current study evaluated relations between both adolescent-reported maternal and paternal psychological control and panic symptom frequency. Results indicate that maternal and paternal psychological control relate positively to panic symptom frequency among adolescents.