The mediating role of inflated sense of self and impulsivity in the relationship between helicopter parenting and psychological symptoms

Abstract

Introduction: Helicopter parenting is characterised as a parenting style that take too much care and intervention to their children, take decisions instead of them, solve the problems they face and try to be overprotective. There is a growing interest in the negative aspects of helicopter parenting. This type of parenting attitude is thought to affect psychological problems. The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of impulsivity and inflated self-sense of self in the relationship between helicopter parenting and psychological symptoms. Method: The sample of the study consists of 337 university students. Perceived helicopter parenting was evaluated by Perceived Helicopter Parenting Attitude Scale, psychological symptoms by Brief Symptom Inventory, impulsivity levels by Barratt Impulsivity Scale, and inflated sense of self levels by using the Inflated Sense of Self Scale. Results: As the helicopter parenting level perceived from the mother increased, psychological symptoms, impulsivity and inflated sense of self increased. There was no relationship between helicopter parenting perceived from the father and other variables. In the relationship between mother-perceived helicopter parenting and psychological symptoms, the inflated self-sense of self and impulsivity have a mediating effect; it was also found that impulsivity has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between inflated sense of self and psychological symptoms. In addition, inflated self-sense of self has a full mediating effect in the relationship between impulsivity and mother-perceived helicopter parenting. Conclusion: The results of the study show that there is a difference between perceived helicopter parenting from mother and father. Perceived helicopter parenting is associated with an increase in psychological symptoms. In addition, in this relationship, helicopter parenting can affect psychological symptoms by causing an increase in impulsivity and inflated sense of self. © 2020 by Turkish Association of Neuropsychiatry.