Over-Parenting, Academic Outcomes, and Mental Health in College Students

Well-intentioned but intrusive over-parenting (i.e., “helicopter parenting”), may be problematic for individuals who should be developing increased autonomy (e.g., college students). Surveying 101 college students, we found that over-parenting significantly predicted greater depression, anxiety, and somatization in college students. However, over-parenting did not significantly predict academic performance, motivation, or self-efficacy.