Investigating the effects of boundary ambiguity and parentification on youth's symptomatology and attitudes and expectations about future in divorced families

In the current study, it was aimed to examine the mediator roles of subdimensions of parentification in the relationship between family boundary ambiguity and youth's psychological symptomatology and their attitudes and expectations toward future. In the first part of the study, Boundary Ambiguity Scale for Adolescents and Adult Children of Divorce which is developed to measure the boundary ambiguity level of adolescents and adult children of divorced families adapted to Turkish and pyschometric properties were examined. Also, Emotional Parentification Questionnaire which is developed to measure emotional parentification level adapted to Turkish and psychometric properties were examined. Accordingly, 242 participants,18-25 ages, replied Demographic Information Form, Boundary Ambiguity Scale for Adolescents and Adult Children of Divorce, Inventory of Family Protective Factors, Emotional Parentification Questionnaire, Parentification Inventory via internet.Analyzes were carried out using the SPSS and EQS.After the scale adaptation process was completed, in the second part of the study, it was examined the mediator roles of subdimensions of parentification in the relationship between family boundary ambiguity and two dependent variables: psychological symptomatology, attitudes and expectations toward future. 96 participants whose parents were divorced between the 18-22 ages answered the Demographic Information Form, Boundary Ambiguity Scale for Adolescents and Adult Children of Divorce, Emotional Parentification Questionnaire, Parentification Inventory, Positive Future Expectations Scale, Attitudes Toward Future Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory via internet. Analyzes were conducted using the PROCESS Macro v4. Research findings did not confirm the mediator roles of subtypes of parentification.However, when the predicton of the variables were examined, it was observed that while boundary ambiguity in divorced families significantly positively predicted parent-focused parentifiation, sibling-focused parentification and early emotional maturation, it significantly predicted positive future expectations and positive attitudes toward future in negative direction. Moreover, while perceived benefits from parentification significantly positively predicted positive future expectations and positive attitudes toward future, it significantly negatively correlated psychological symptomatology. Keywords: Family Boundary Ambiguity, Parentification, Psychological Symptomatology, Attiudes and Expectations toward Future