Unraveling the Links Between Maternal and Paternal Parenting Practices and Adolescent Problematic Gaming: The Mediating Role of Satisfaction and Frustration of Psychological Needs

Adolescent problematic gaming (PG) is a concerning condition worldwide. Increasing evidence documented associations between parental behaviors (measured unitedly for mothers and fathers) and adolescent PG; however, the specific contribution of each parent and the mediating mechanisms remain understudied. Drawing from the self-determination theory, this study separately examined, in mothers and fathers, (a) the direct associations between supportive parenting practices (i.e., autonomy support, structure, and warmth) and thwarting practices (i.e., coercion, chaos, and rejection) and adolescent PG, (b) their indirect associations via the satisfaction and the frustration of basic psychological needs, and (c) potential gender differences. Data were collected at school via online questionnaires in 2023 and the final sample comprised 1,193 Italian video game players (M-age = 15.81 +/- 1.58; 64.3% males). Path analyses were run to test the two mediation models and multigroup comparisons were conducted. Coercion by both parents was directly associated with higher PG among all adolescents, while chaos by both parents was directly associated with higher PG only in males. Furthermore, the thwarting practices of both parents were associated with higher adolescent PG via increased need frustration, whereas autonomy support only by fathers was related to lower adolescent PG via reduced need frustration; no gender differences emerged in the indirect associations. These findings evidence that the thwarting parenting practices and need frustration in particular may be crucial risk factors for adolescent PG and suggest that involving both mothers and fathers in the prevention and intervention programs may be particularly useful to tackle this condition in adolescence.