RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTING STYLES AND GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER AMONG TEENAGERS AT LANGATA HIGH SCHOOL, NAIROBI COUNTY KENYA
Date
2024-06
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Publisher
Tangaza University
Abstract
The parenting style adopted by a parent in raising a child plays a major role in shaping the holistic development of a child. This study examined the relationship between parenting styles and generalized anxiety disorders among teenagers in Langata High School, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study utilized the following objectives: To determine the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorders, to establish the types of parenting styles employed by parents of teenagers, and to examine the relationship between parenting styles and generalized anxiety disorders among teenagers in Langata High School, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was informed by the Baumrind pillar theory. The study applied a correlational research design. The target population was 756 teenagers aged between 13 to 19 years who attend Langata High School. The study adopted stratified sampling technique and simple random sampling in selecting the participants at different stages. A sample size of 87 respondents were obtained after applying the Cochran’s formula. Data were collected using Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Parenting Authority Questionnaire. The data collected were coded and entered into SPSS version 25 for analysis. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Ethical considerations were adhered to. The findings revealed that 21.3% (n = 20) of the participants were at low prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder, while 78.7% (n = 74) were at high prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder among teenagers of Lang’ata High School, Nairobi Count, Kenya. It was also found that 62.6% of the students were raised by authoritative parents, 23.5% of the students came under the authoritarian parents, while 13.9% of the students were at the permissive parenting style. The study established that there was a positive relationship (r = .016, p = .021 ≤ 0.05) between authoritarian parenting style and generalized anxiety disorders among teenagers. There was significant positive relationship (r = .050, p = .032 ≥ 0.05) between permissive parenting style and generalized anxiety disorders among teenagers in Lang’ata High School, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study recommended that the school administration need to work in collaboration with counseling psychologists to develop program in reaching out to the students to inform them of some coping strategies with regards to generalized anxiety disorder.