Research article summary (published 30 Aug 2006):

Leaving home or still in the nest? Parent-child relationships and psychological health as predictors of different leaving home patterns.

Full Abstract

In this study, the author examines the patterns of leaving home in a sample of 93 participants and their parents. The quality of parent-child relationships, psychological symptomatology in adolescence and young adulthood, and attachment representation were assessed longitudinally from mid-adolescence to young adulthood. Attachment representation, adolescent autonomy, and parent-adolescent conflict were found to be important predictors of the timing of leaving home. In-time leavers were more securely attached and had been granted high autonomy during adolescence, compared with participants who had left home later or had returned to reside in the family home. Young adults with nonnormative leaving home patterns also showed higher percentages of insecure attachment representations and lower percentages of involvement with a romantic partner. Participants residing with their parents were, according to their parents' perceptions, less psychologically healthy.

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Author information

Author/s: Seiffge-Krenke, Inge (I);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany. seiffge(-atsign-)uni-mainz.de

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Developmental psychology (Dev Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Sep; vol 42 (issue 5) : pp 864-76

Dates: Created 2006/09/06; Completed 2007/01/18;

PMID: 16953692, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adaptation, Psychological Adolescent Adult Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; psychology Conflict (Psychology) Courtship Family Relations Female Humans Individuation Internal-External Control

Longitudinal Studies Male Object Attachment Parent-Child Relations Personal Autonomy Personality Assessment Personality Inventory Risk Factors Sex Factors Social Adjustment Social Environment

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