Date of Submission

4-27-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Jeffrey Debies-Carl, Ph.D.

Keywords

Parenting styles, Anxiety, Depression, Undergraduate students, Gender, Maternal Authoritarianism

LCSH

Parenting, Adjustment disorders, Undergraduates, Gender

Abstract

Previous studies have consistently found that perceived parenting styles play a critical role in the long-term psychological adjustment of individuals, often serving as predictors for emotional well-being. However, while much of the existing literature focuses on general populations, it is not as clearly understood how these parental influences continue to impact mental health within a university setting while considering how the student’s gender might impact these outcomes. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between perceived maternal and paternal parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian and permissive) and levels of anxiety and depression among undergraduate students at the University of New Haven, with a specific focus on the role of gender within these dynamics. A sample of undergraduate students (N= 98; n=88 for regression analyses) completed a questionnaire that included the Paternal Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-9 (GAD-7), a revised version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and demographic questions. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was used to analyze the predictive power of parenting styles and gender on mental health outcomes. Results indicated that paternal authoritative parenting was a significant negative predictor of both anxiety (p=0.030, one tailed) and depression (p=0.012), suggesting a moderate protective effect. Maternal authoritarianism was found to be a significant positive predictor of anxiety when controlling for gender (p=0.031). Gender was also a significant predictor, with differences observed in anxiety reporting. The models accounted for approximately 6.8% to 11.6% of the variance in anxiety and depression. The findings suggest that paternal warmth and autonomy-support remain critical buffers against psychological distress in young adulthood. Limitations regard the exclusion of the neglectful parenting style and small sample size.

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Available for download on Monday, May 12, 2031

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