Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents as a Function of Perceived Parental Behavior

The present study aimed at examining the relation between perceived parental behavior and depressive symptoms in adolescents. One hundred forty-four adolescents, ranging in age from 13 to 18 years, were involved in the study. They all came from a high school of the Western Quebec Regional School Board. Subjects completed the Children s Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (revised form) and the Beck Depression Inventory. Father's rejection and mother's psychological control were found to be the two most powerful predictors of adolescents' depressive symptoms. Results are discussed in light of the literature on adolescent depression.