Jeffrey Young’s parenting styles clinical theory: Literature review

Abstract

The family studies and its influence on social, emotional and cognitive development of children and adolescents have received attention in recent years. Researchers have stressed the importance of parenting styles, which to overall characteristics of interactions between parents and children. These characteristics have been discussed by Baumrind, Maccoby and Martin, and Steinberg, which expanded the understanding of the subject. Based on these authors, some studies aimed to investigate the association between parenting styles, psychopathology and positive aspects of development. However, a clinical model was proposed just in the nineties by Jeffrey Young, based on Schema Therapy. According to Young, the parenting styles are linked with the maladaptive mental schemas and are appointed as the same schemas names. The author proposes eighteen styles, grouped into five domains: Disconnection and Rejection, Impaired Autonomy and Performance, Impaired Limits, Other-Directedness, Overvigilance and Inhibition. Therefore, the current review presents some parenting styles models as well as Young’s theory. Some clinical and psychological assessment concerns also are discussed.

Key words: Parenting Styles, literature review, Schema Therapy.