Psychologists have known for a while that adolescents who have close, supportive parent-teen relationships are generally better adjusted, do better in school, and engage in fewer risk-taking behaviors. But new research spells out more precisely the benefits to girls who report more intimate bonds with mothers—as well as fathers.
Researchers surveyed nearly 400 young people at three points between the ages of 12 and 20, asking questions about weight concerns, depression symptoms, self-esteem, and parent-teen intimacy. When girls felt close to their mothers, they had higher self-esteem throughout adolescence and fewer symptoms of depression in mid-adolescence, around age 15. Surprisingly, mother-daughter relationships were not associated with girls’ weight concerns.
Daughters who felt close to fathers, on the other hand, experienced fewer depression symptoms and weight concerns throughout adolescence, and better self-esteem from early to mid-adolescence.
While confirming that the quality of parent-teen relationships powerfully affects girls’ self-image and wellbeing, this study points out the particular benefits of mothers and fathers—and at specific times during adolescence. But the bottom line is that close ties to both mothers and fathers really matter; developing and sustaining close, supportive bonds throughout the teen years can protect daughters from a range of adjustment difficulties.