LAUSR

ABSTRACT This study focused on the effects of parenting styles, as perceived by the college student, on drinking behaviors. A total of 36 students between the ages of 18 and 34 were recruited from a small liberal-arts college. Four surveys were counterbalanced and administered: 1) Perceived Parenting Styles, 2) Drinking Behaviors, 3) Mental Health, and 4) Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL). Findings showed that problem drinking was strongly correlated with mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, hostility, and confusion. Parental trust and support were shown to be correlated to mental health, and there was a significant association between problem drinking and parental trust and rules. These findings suggest that perceived parenting styles impact later socioemotional functioning and drinking behaviors. Therefore, future research is warranted on the topic, particularly as it relates to how individuals perceive parenting styles, the degree of subsequent risk-taking behaviors, and how these may differ on larger campuses. Targeting parents with education and early intervention should be explored while also accounting for implications, such as early environmental stressors, whether or not mental health concerns are predecessors or sequelae of perceived parenting styles, and how the order of events may impact subsequent drinking behaviors.