The moderating effect of gender: perceived parenting styles and anxiety symptoms among adolescents

Abstract

Persistent anxiety symptoms during adolescence can lead to debilitation with a possible long-term negative impact in adulthood. Hence, reducing the burden of anxiety symptoms is a crucial public health priority. This quantitative study examined the moderating outcome of gender on the association between perceived parenting and anxiety symptoms among adolescents aged 13 to 17. A non-probability convenience sampling method was employed to select a sample of 153 participants between the ages of 13 and 17, comprising adolescent learners (boys and girls) in Grades 8–11 attending English medium schools. The study applied a quantitative, non-experimental and correlational research design. The results of the current study propose that gender may moderate the impact of parenting styles, in particular the authoritative style, with female adolescents displaying lower levels of anxiety symptoms when they perceive their parents’ parenting style as authoritative. By contrast, there would appear to be a slight increase in anxiety symptoms in male adolescents when they perceive their parents as authoritative. This research contributes to an understanding of the nuanced interplay between gender, perceived parenting styles and anxiety symptoms during adolescence, offering insights that may inform targeted interventions for this vulnerable population.