Relationships between father involvement, mother involvement, interparental conflict and positive well-being among early adolescents in Tehran, Iran

In the past, negative and problematic areas of adolescents’ development have been the focus of research with very few studies investigating adolescents’ positive wellbeing and factors related to it. In order to explore adolescent’s positive well-being, it is necessary to recognize important factors that affect it. Father involvement is one of the most important factor affecting adolescent’s positive well-being; however, studies are scant on this issue among Iranian's fathers. Explaining significant domains of paternal involvement related to adolescent’s positive well-being is highly necessary. This study aimed to examine the relationship between father involvement and early adolescent’s positive well-being, while considering the role of mother involvement and interparental conflict as the most influential contextual assets. This study was conducted in Tehran, on 376 early adolescents (12-14 years old) living with intact parents, who were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data on demographic characteristics, father involvement, mother involvement, adolescent positive well-being and interparental conflict. The findings showed that slightly more than half of the respondents possessed a high level of positive well-being (56%), while having a moderately significant relationship with father involvement, mother involvement and interparental conflict. It showed alignment of adolescent positive well-being with parental boundaries. Moreover, father involvement, mother involvement, interparental conflict and adolescent’s academic achievement predicted one-third of adolescent positive wellbeing, while father involvement was the strongest significant predictor among others. Subsequently, mother involvement and interparental conflict partially mediated the relationship between father involvement and adolescent positive well-being. Meanwhile, no significant moderation roles of mother involvement and interparental conflict were found. The current study is one of the first Iranian father-adolescent’s studies using positive approach. Results present noteworthy information on adolescent’s positive wellbeing and father involvement, coupled with the mediating role of mother involvement and interparental conflict. This information could be used as theoretical and practical guidelines for those dealing with early adolescents in order to promote their positive well-being and to strengthen Iranian father-adolescent relationship in specific, and family member’s communication in general. In summary, this study has its potential in explaining how to help adolescents attain senses of “positive wellbeing” in the present and “thriving” in the future by considering parental role as the most important external assets in adolescent’s life as championed by the positive approach.

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