Adolescents and Body Uneasiness: the Contribution of Supportive Parenting and Trait Emotional Intelligence

This study aims to understand the mechanisms that link trait Emotional Intelligence (trait EI) and parenting in contributing to the development of body uneasiness in adolescents. Participants were 405 adolescents (152 males, 253 females), from 14 to 19 years old, who completed the Perceptions of Parents Scales, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–Adolescent Form, and the Body Uneasiness Test. Results confirmed that higher adolescents’ body uneasiness was predicted by lower perceived parental support and lower adolescent trait EI. Furthermore, our findings showed that trait EI had a mediational effect on the relation between the parenting dimension of autonomy-support and body uneasiness. These results shed light on the relationship between positive parenting practices and higher adolescents’ trait EI, which act together as protective factors of adolescents’ body uneasiness.