Chronic illness and psychopathology in emerging adults: Moderation by parent–child relationship quality

Abstract

Objective

The current study aimed to better understand how parent–child relationships might moderate the effects of the presence and severity (as measured by physical quality of life) of a chronic illness on psychological problems in emerging adulthood.

Methods

The participants included 538 emerging adults (53.5% women) with a mean age of 19.04. The participants completed an online study including chronic illness questions, the World Health Organization Quality of Life—Brief, the Parental Environment Questionnaire, and the Adult Self-Report scale.

Results

Endorsing a health condition significantly associated with psychological problems in emerging adult men. The three-way interaction between endorsing a health condition, physical quality of life, and maternal parent–child relationship quality significantly predicted psychological problems in emerging adult men and women. Specifically, higher maternal relationship quality was associated with a weaker relation between psychological problems and having a health condition with a low physical quality of life.

Discussion

The emerging adults who reported the most psychological problems also reported having a health condition, low physical quality of life, and low maternal relationship quality, highlighting that the combination of these variables predicted the highest rate of psychological problems. A low maternal relationship quality contributes to poor psychological adjustment while a high maternal relationship quality contributes to good psychological adjustment.