Parents’ Storm and Stress Beliefs about Adolescence: Relations with Parental Overprotection and Parental Burnout

In society and its mass media, adolescence is typically portrayed as a disruptive and rebellious stage of life (“Storm and Stress”). Previous research suggests that the parental adherence to these negative Storm and Stress beliefs about adolescence are persistent and predict subsequent “Storm and Stress” behaviours among their adolescent children. However, the way these beliefs may impact parenting and the experience of being a parent remains unclear and understudied. This study examined associations between parents’ Storm and Stress beliefs about adolescence and parental burnout as well as explored the potential mediating role of parental overprotection in this association. Using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Partial Mediation Model, we examined these associations in 146 mother-father dyads (N = 292 parents) of adolescents. Results indicated that mothers and fathers who adhered more strongly to Storm and Stress beliefs about adolescence were more likely to exhibit higher levels of parental burnout. These associations were partially mediated by parental overprotection for both mothers and fathers. The strength of these pathways were found to be similar for both mothers and fathers and no partner effect was observed. These results suggest that countering negative beliefs about adolescence may be beneficial for the quality of parenting and the experience of being a parent.