The Effect of Perceived Benefit and Gender Differences on the Relationship Between Parentification and Psychological Symptoms


Koyden D., ULUÇ S.

TURK PSIKOLOJI DERGISI, vol.33, no.81, pp.28-40, 2018 (SSCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 33 Issue: 81
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Journal Name: TURK PSIKOLOJI DERGISI
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.28-40
  • Keywords: Parentification, psychological symptoms, gender differences, CHILDHOOD PARENTIFICATION, ROLE REVERSAL, FILIAL RESPONSIBILITY, ADULT CHILDREN, PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, ADOLESCENTS, ADJUSTMENT, YOUTH, RISK
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Parentification is described as a kind of role reversal in which children have to meet their parents' needs while ignoring their own needs within the family. It is accepted that parentification may negatively affect child's psychological health in the following years. Recent studies indicated that perceived fairness or perceived benefit of parentification might compensate the negative effects. In this study, firstly, 'Parentification Inventory', which is commonly used in empirical studies, has been adapted to Turkish language. Secondly, the relationship between psychological symptoms of men and women and parent focused parentification, sibling focused parentification and perceived benefit was investigated. Three hundred and one young adults (142 female, 159 male) participated in the study. Analyzes pointed out that the factor structure of the Turkish form of the scale was consistent with the original form. The parental focused parentification dimension and the sibling-focused parentification dimension were found to be positively and significantly related to all psychological problems. On the other hand, the perceived benefit dimension was significantly negatively related to all psychological problems. The results showed that even when men and women exposed to similar levels of parentification, final effects might be quite different. Applied structural equation modeling showed that this could be closely related to underlying dynamics. Therefore, although the amount of parenting for women and men is the same, the effects appeared can be different.