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J Child Fam Stud (2015) 24:13071321 DOI 10.1007/s10826-014-9938-z
ORIGINAL PAPER
Long-Term Sequelae of Emotional Parentication: A Cross-Validation Study Using Sequences of Regressions
Katarzyna Schier Max Herke Ralf Nickel
Ulrich T. Egle Jochen Hardt
Published online: 9 March 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Abstract The aim of our study was the analysis of long-term sequelae of emotional parentication in childhood. Two samples (n = 500 each) were examined via the internet regarding parentication and perceived love in childhood, as well as other childhood experiences such as abuse, having been raised by a single parent and parental loss, as well as adult depressive and vegetative symptoms and pain. A questionnaire set containing 280 items was lled out. Emotional parentication in childhood, maternal as well as paternal, was found to be a strong predictor of depression in adulthood. Indicators of somatization showed associations in the same direction, but these were much weaker. Also, associations between paternal parentication and vegetative symptoms, as well as between maternal parentication and pain in adulthood could be observed. Perceived love from the father during childhood was one of the protective factors for development of various problems in adult life. The results indicate the necessity of directing more attention, both clinically and empirically, towards emotional parentication.
Keywords Adult depression Parentchild relationships
parentication Childhood traumatic experiences Internet
survey
Introduction
Parentication means that a child takes care of his or her parent. In terms of attachment theory (Bowlby 1969), it could be said that in order to survive emotionally, children have to mobilize their caregiving system towards the parents, instead of receiving care from them (Schier 2009). Their own attachment needs to remain in the background because this is the only way they are able to maintain proximity to their parent. Parentication tends to take place at school age rather than in infancy (e.g. Mace et al. 2008), but as with attachment styles, lifelong and even some transgenerational stability can be expected (e.g. Mace et al. 2005). The results of transgenerational research provide some evidence that these parents either did not develop a safe attachment pattern in their relationships with their own caregivers or they have a history of unresolved traumatic experience. Solomon and George (1999) describe mothers with disorganized attachment patterns as individuals...