Significance of touch for perceptions of parenting and psychological adjustment among adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study set out to investigate whether a relationship exists between differential quality and quantity of physical contact experience and perceptions of parenting, psychological adjustment, and suicidal behavior among adolescents.


METHODS
A self-report questionnaire assessed individuals' perceptions of how frequently they experienced pleasant (positive) and unpleasant (negative) touch from family and friends. Together with the Achenbach Youth Self-Report and the Parental Bonding Instrument, this questionnaire was administered to 142 male and 129 female students aged between 13 and 15 years (mean = 13.54, SD = 0.56) attending a randomly chosen metropolitan state high school and a coeducational private school.


RESULTS
The major findings indicated that differential quality and quantity of physical contact experience was related to perceptions of parenting, psychological adjustment, and suicidal behavior, although a gender difference was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that physical contact experiences may reflect different parenting styles and may be a vulnerability factor for a range of difficulties among adolescents.
Pearce
C M
CM
Southern Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia.
Martin
G
G
Wood
K
K
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010553:Personality Development; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D014110:Touch