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Adolescents' Well-Being and Democratic Parenting: Does Environmental Sensitivity Matter?
Nicolò Maria Iannello1, Nicla Cucinella2, Alida Lo Coco2
1Department of Psychology and Health Sciences, Pegaso Telematic University, 80143 Naples, Italy.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 28, 2025
Summary
Democratic parenting positively impacts adolescent well-being. However, high environmental sensitivity can be a vulnerability, especially in less supportive family environments, indicating a diathesis-stress model.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Well-being
Background:
- Parenting styles significantly influence adolescent development.
- Environmental sensitivity in adolescents is increasingly recognized as a key factor in well-being.
- Understanding the interplay between parenting and sensitivity is crucial for supporting youth mental health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between democratic parenting and adolescent subjective well-being.
- To investigate the moderating role of environmental sensitivity in this relationship.
- To test three models of environmental sensitivity (diathesis-stress, vantage sensitivity, differential susceptibility).
Main Methods:
- A sample of 321 Italian adolescents (mean age 16.83) completed online self-report questionnaires.
- Measures included perceptions of democratic parenting, environmental sensitivity, and subjective well-being (positivity, vitality, anxiety, general health).
- Path analysis models were used to evaluate the associations and moderation effects.
Main Results:
- Democratic parenting was positively associated with positivity, vitality, and general health, and negatively with anxiety.
- Higher environmental sensitivity was linked to reduced subjective well-being.
- Environmental sensitivity moderated the effects, with highly sensitive adolescents experiencing lower general health when democratic parenting was low.
Conclusions:
- Findings support a diathesis-stress model, where environmental sensitivity acts as a vulnerability factor.
- Adolescents with high environmental sensitivity may require more supportive parenting to maintain well-being.
- The study highlights the complex interaction between parenting, individual sensitivity, and adolescent mental health outcomes.
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