The relationship between helicopter parenting and eating disorder symptoms in university students: The roles of parental emotional availability and emotion regulation difficulty

This study investigates the relationship between helicopter parenting (HP) and eating disorder symptoms severity, with a focus on the mediating roles of parental emotional availability (EA) and emotion regulation difficulty among a sample of 303 Turkish university students. Quantitative research utilizing online survey was employed. Bivariate correlations and mediation analyses were conducted to analyze the data. The findings revealed an indirect positive association between maternal HP and eating disorder symptoms severity through emotion regulation difficulty. Additionally, paternal HP demonstrated a negative relationship with eating disorder symptoms severity through serial mediation of paternal EA and emotion regulation difficulty. There was a positive association between paternal HP and paternal EA, while the association between paternal EA and emotion regulation difficulty was negative. The results contribute to the growing body of research on the effects of HP on university students and emphasize the importance of considering both parental EA and emotion regulation difficulty in understanding the impact of HP on eating disorders. The findings have implications for parents and mental health professionals in developing interventions and parental education programs to mitigate the potential negative impact of helicopter parenting. Future research directions and limitations are also discussed.