Parenting style and psychological well-being among adolescents: a theoretical perspective

Parenting style refers to the style in which parents guide their children and regulate their behavior. It is a general pattern of child rearing that parents use to give guidance, to set limits and interact with their children. Generally four types of parenting style i.e. Authoritative, Authoritarian, Permissive and Neglectingarebeing adopted by parents to rear their children. On the other hand, psychological well-beingrefers to how people evaluate their lives. The style adopted by parents for the rearing of their child not only nurtures the child physically but also contributes in the overall well-being (i.e. physical, social, mental, psycho-socialand psychological well-being) of the child. In this article, previous researches have also been reviewed in this areaand significant associations between parenting style and psychological well-being were found. Research findings demonstrated that an authoritative parenting style produces a number of positive developmental outcomes in adolescents. It is necessary that the parents, who play the role of parenting and socially supporting their children especially the roles of developing their psychological and social positions, should show their concern to their children and adopt authoritative approach to bring up their child. Schools should also focus on most successful parenting style for the development of child's well-being through parent nights, community events, educational programs, and other school counseling activities and events etc.