Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Parental overprotection predicts the development of functional somatic symptoms in young adolescents
Karin A M Janssens1, Albertine J Oldehinkel, Judith G M Rosmalen
1Interdisciplinary Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology and Graduate School for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. k.a.m.janssens@med.umcg.nl
Objective:
To examine whether parental overprotection contributes to the development of functional somatic symptoms (FSS) in young adolescents. In addition, we aimed to study whether this potential effect of parental overprotection is mediated by parenting distress and/or moderated by the adolescent's sex.
Study Design:
FSS were measured in 2230 adolescents (ages 10 to 12 years from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey) by the Somatic Complaints subscale of the Youth Self Report at baseline and at follow-up 2 1/2 years later. Parental overprotection as perceived by the child was assessed by means of the EMBU-C (Swedish acronym for my memories of upbringing-child version). Parents completed the Parenting Stress Index. Linear regression analyses were performed adjusted for FSS at baseline and sex.
Results:
Parental overprotection was a predictor of the development of FSS in young adolescents (beta = 0.055, P < .01). Stratified analyses revealed that maternal overprotection was a predictor of the development of FSS in girls (beta = 0.085, P < .02), whereas paternal overprotection was a predictor of the development of FSS in boys (beta = 0.072, P < .01). A small (5.7%) but significant mediating effect of maternal parenting stress in the relationship between parental overprotection and FSS was found.
Conclusions:
Parental overprotection may play a role in the development of FSS in young adolescents.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Bullying
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and...

