Parentification, peer relations, school attendance and psychological well-being among ordinary level students in Kampala

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between Parentification and peer relations, school attendance and psychological wellbeing of ordinary level students in Kampala. There were 173 participants from three Universal Secondary Education (USE) day schools in Kampala. The participants were given questionnaires, The Parentification Youth version, Index of peer relations, filled in number of days missed for school attendance rate and the psychological wellbeing measurement scale. Findings indicated that parentification was significantly related and had an effect on peer relations and psychological wellbeing but was not significantly related or predictive of school attendance, and peer relations mediated the relationship between parentification and psychological wellbeing. The results are discussed in terms of implications of parentification on children’s development emphasizing the importance of interventions as well as implications for clinical practice in treating parentification effects during childhood.