The Impact of Parentification on Adult Health Behaviors and Outcomes
Disciplines
Public Health Education and Promotion
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Parentification is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that is often examined as it is occurring to affected members of this population: children. More specifically, adolescents tend to be the primary focus of such research endeavors devoted to areas like mental health and substance use. The literature is ripe with best practices for many disciplines (e.g., social work, psychology, etc.) in service to those impacted by parentification as well as those that are responsible for imparting the parentification experience (i.e., parents).
What is less understood is how parentification informs health behavior and outcomes in adulthood, which is the focus of the current research that seeks to further these conversations with a comprehensive extension into specific health behaviors and outcomes as they relate to the experience of parentified adults. An evidence review will occur to 1) identify the gaps in understanding between parentification in adults and specific health behaviors and outcomes and 2) discern to the extent possible which demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, etc.) are of significance to the parentification experience. The review will begin the development of an instrument in which parentification and underrepresented health behaviors and outcomes will be assessed. Results will reveal the gaps in understanding and provide the path forward for future research activities by way of evidence-based instrument development and assessment., which will deepen the existing conversation around the impact of parentification on adult health behavior and outcomes. Parentification is not a new concept, nor is the conversation around it. However, the health impact on adulthood has not been fully explored as it relates to 1) health behaviors like help seeking and self-care and 2) multi-dimensional health outcomes: physical, emotional, social, etc. This endeavor will yield insight that several disciplines and affected populations can use to either strengthen or sustain health behaviors and outcomes.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Health Promotion and Physical Education
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Mari-Amanda Dyal
The Impact of Parentification on Adult Health Behaviors and Outcomes
Parentification is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that is often examined as it is occurring to affected members of this population: children. More specifically, adolescents tend to be the primary focus of such research endeavors devoted to areas like mental health and substance use. The literature is ripe with best practices for many disciplines (e.g., social work, psychology, etc.) in service to those impacted by parentification as well as those that are responsible for imparting the parentification experience (i.e., parents).
What is less understood is how parentification informs health behavior and outcomes in adulthood, which is the focus of the current research that seeks to further these conversations with a comprehensive extension into specific health behaviors and outcomes as they relate to the experience of parentified adults. An evidence review will occur to 1) identify the gaps in understanding between parentification in adults and specific health behaviors and outcomes and 2) discern to the extent possible which demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, etc.) are of significance to the parentification experience. The review will begin the development of an instrument in which parentification and underrepresented health behaviors and outcomes will be assessed. Results will reveal the gaps in understanding and provide the path forward for future research activities by way of evidence-based instrument development and assessment., which will deepen the existing conversation around the impact of parentification on adult health behavior and outcomes. Parentification is not a new concept, nor is the conversation around it. However, the health impact on adulthood has not been fully explored as it relates to 1) health behaviors like help seeking and self-care and 2) multi-dimensional health outcomes: physical, emotional, social, etc. This endeavor will yield insight that several disciplines and affected populations can use to either strengthen or sustain health behaviors and outcomes.