Household chaos, relationships with parents and adolescents' future beliefs

This article examines whether adolescents' experience of household chaos is related to their future beliefs (i.e. mastery of the future, future obstacles, stress about transition to emerging adulthood, parents' ability to 'let go', and likelihood of having a successful career). It also explores whether adolescents' relationships with their mothers and fathers (i.e. warmth, hostility) moderate the link between household chaos and adolescents' future beliefs. Adolescents (N=325; 52% female) in the tenth grade completed an in-school questionnaire. At the bivariate level, it was found that household chaos was linked to adolescents' future beliefs. Household chaos predicted adolescents' less positive beliefs about mastery, future obstacles, and having a successful career. Mothers' hostility exacerbated adolescents' beliefs about future obstacles and stress about the transition to emerging adulthood in chaotic households. Clinical and programmatic strategies could be developed to address household chaos as a risk factor for adolescents' negative beliefs about their futures.