Date

5-20-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Laura Rolen

Keywords

helicopter parent, emerging adult, well-being, diversity

Disciplines

Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Helicopter parenting involves excessive over-involvement, overprotection, and autonomy restriction. Research suggests that helicopter parenting often leads to poor outcomes for emerging adults (18-25). This style of parenting is incongruent with the appropriate developmental stage of emerging adulthood, which prioritizes autonomy supportive parenting for more positive well-being outcomes. Literature on this phenomenon consists of a majority White female sample. This study is an examination of the relationship between well-being outcomes (depression, anxiety, and autonomy) for a diverse population of emerging adults who were helicopter parented. This correlational quantitative study includes 120 college participants. Spearman’s rho correlation was employed to analyze the data. The first research question asked whether there was a relationship between emerging adults who were helicopter parented and well-being outcomes. Depression and autonomy were not found to be related to emerging adults who were helicopter parented. However, there was a relationship observed for anxiety. The second research question examined differences in mental health outcomes based on race. The analysis revealed significant differences in the autonomy and depression levels based on race. Small effect sizes were observed for both autonomy (95% CI [.002, .194]) and depression (95% CI [.000, .189]). Tukey post hoc analyses revealed that White and Asian participants differed based on autonomy, while Asians and multiple race participants differed based on depression. Anxiety levels did not differ based on race. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to mitigate anxiety and improve well-being among emerging adults who experienced helicopter parenting.

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