Parentification and depressive symptoms among emerging adults: the role of codependency and guilt- and shame-proneness

Key Points

• Emerging adults experiencing parentification show significantly higher depressive symptoms and feelings of guilt.
• Key evidence indicates that those with high codependency report 70% increased depressive symptoms compared to others.
• Assessment using survey data found strong links between guilt-proneness and increased levels of depressive symptoms.
• This highlights the need for better support for emerging adults facing guilt and shame due to parentification.