Examining the relationship between parental bonding and substance use in a college student population

Graduation Date

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Other

Program

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, Psychology: Academic Research, Developmental Psychopathology, 2011

Committee Chair Name

Tasha Howe

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Psychology, Parental bonding, Parental attachment, Substance abuse, College students

Abstract

Substance use on college campuses is a continual problem. It is important for researchers and clinicians to study constructs related to the development of substance use as this information can provide clinicians and staff working in health centers insight on how to assist students abusing substances. Poor quality relationships with parents have been correlated with substance use; however, studies examining parenting and substance use utilized small, clinical, primarily male samples. Moreover, there is a lack of research on parental bonding and substance use among college students. The current study examined parental bonding, substance use, age, ethnicity, gender of students, and gender of parents in a college student sample. It was hypothesized that those reporting low parental care and high overprotection would be at increased risk of substance use. Consistent with previous research, men reported using more substances than women. Research on gender, age and ethnicity related to parental bonding and substance use has been limited and contradictory so specific hypotheses were not made regarding these variables. In this study, demographic variables and substance use were unrelated to parental care or overprotection. Latinos and Latinas reported significantly higher paternal overprotection than European-Americans, but contrary to past research this "over" protection was not related to poor parental bonding, suggesting that future research examine the utility of such bonding measures for diverse samples. Researchers should continue examining substance use and parenting relationships in diverse college student samples in order to improve services provided to substance using youth.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/mp48sg13f

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