Young people constitute a special segment of those affected, as suicide is the third leading cause of death among those aged between 15 and 29.
In a recent study conducted on Nepalese teenagers, researchers revealed high rates of anxiety among them, confirming that parenting style plays a key role in shaping their mental health.
The research team, led by Rabina Khadka, a public health lecturer at the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences in Kathmandu, conducted a survey of 583 adolescents in the Bhimdat municipality of central Nepal, with the aim of filling gaps in available data, particularly the lack of studies linking different parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritarian, and permissive) to adolescents’ mental health outcomes.
The researchers used a four-part questionnaire that included questions about the adolescents' mental health (depression, anxiety, stress and self-esteem), the parenting styles they receive, as well as personal information such as age, gender and family status.
The results showed that 42.19% of teenagers suffer from anxiety, 37.39% from depression, and 24.69% from stress, while 69.3% reported having high self-esteem.
The study highlighted that authoritarian parenting style is the most common among adolescents (83.2%), followed by permissiveness (56.6%), and then autocraticness (43.6%). When parenting styles were linked to psychological outcomes, it was found that autocratic parenting increases the risk of depression and is associated with low self-esteem, while authoritarian parenting protects against depression, anxiety, and stress and is associated with high self-esteem. Permissive parenting, on the other hand, is associated with high stress levels.
The researchers commented: "These findings highlight the crucial role of parental involvement and support in shaping adolescents' mental health, and underscore the need for positive parenting practices to improve their mental well-being."
The study indicated that social support and the school environment have a significant impact on mental health, as bullying victims and adolescents who do not have close relationships with others face a greater risk of developing mental health problems.
To address these challenges, researchers recommend strengthening parental support to encourage positive authoritarian parenting styles, and developing mental health programs in schools, including interventions to combat bullying and provide student counseling.
The study was published inthe journal PLOS One.
