The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Reducing Depressive Symptoms Among University Students: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Parenting styles are important contextual factors in adolescent emotional development, particularly in the acquisition of emotion regulation skills. Adolescence involves substantial social, cognitive, and emotional changes, making the family environment an important context for understanding how young people respond to emotional challenges. This systematic literature review aims to examine the association between parenting styles and emotion regulation among adolescents, identify the parenting dimensions most frequently associated with adaptive and maladaptive emotional outcomes, and determine gaps in the existing evidence. The review is designed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 framework. Eligible studies are intended to include peer-reviewed empirical research published between 2016 and 2026 that examines parenting practices and emotion regulation in adolescent populations. Twelve studies are planned for inclusion, subject to documented screening and eligibility assessment. Existing systematic evidence indicates that parental warmth and support are generally associated with lower emotion dysregulation, whereas psychological control and authoritarian parenting are associated with greater difficulties in emotional regulation. However, the strength of these associations varies across studies, and cultural context, measurement differences, and study design may contribute to inconsistent findings. The review highlights the importance of distinguishing broad parenting styles from specific parenting practices and parental emotion-socialization behaviors. Its intended contribution is to provide an integrated account of how family interactions relate to adolescent emotion regulation and to identify priorities for culturally sensitive, longitudinal, and methodologically rigorous research.