EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF PARENTIFICATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Parentification is a term first coined in the year 1973 to describe a role-reversal between a child and a caregiver. Because a child is held to parental standards in a parentified relationship, this dynamic can produce many outcomes, positive or negative. As school psychologists work often, and very closely with students and families, knowing and understanding how a parentified relationship may affect the students they work with is helpful and important. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the outcomes of a parentified relationship, using the following research questions: (1) What are the outcomes of a parentified relationship between a parent and child? Specifically, are they academic, behavioral, and/or social emotional; and are they positive and/or negative? (2) What portion of research on parentification includes youth with documented disabilities (e.g., special education categories)? Utilizing PRISMA procedures, 14 articles were selected for inclusion. Research indicated that parentification can produce largely negative outcomes, and some positive outcomes in those who experienced a parentified relationship. Research did not yield any studies with participants who reported having documented disabilities. The findings of this systematic review may be beneficial to school psychologists as it allows them to understand the effects a parentified relationship can have on the youth they may work with, as well as giving them insight on the potential origin of problem behaviors that youth may display. Being privy to this information can better prepare school psychologists for working with students and their families to meet their specific needs.