The type of relationship a teen shares with his or her parents directly impacts how successful his future romantic relationships will be, a new study finds.
The study was conducted by University of Alberta researchers who examined data from 2,970 people who were interviewed at three stages of life from adolescence to young adulthood spanning ages 12 to 32.
According to a press statement, the type of relationship a teen shares with his parents directly impacts how successful his future romantic relationships will be, even 15 years later.
The study provides a "small but important link between parent-adolescent relationship quality and intimate relationships 15 years later," study author Matt Johnson said in the statement. "The effects can be long-lasting."
Not surprisingly they found that teens who shared a good relationship with their parents enjoyed healthier and high quality romantic relationships as adults. Researchers also noted that recognizing the type of relationship teens share with their parents earlier on can help them stay away from future heartbreaks.
"People tend to compartmentalize their relationships; they tend not to see the connection between one kind, such as family relations, and another, like couple unions," Johnson said. "But understanding your contribution to the relationship with your parents would be important to recognizing any tendency to replicate behavior -- positive or negative -- in an intimate relationship."
Johnson clarifies that the findings of this study in no way suggests that parents should be held responsible for relationships gone wrong in their children's lives as grownups.
"It is important to recognize everyone has a role to play in creating a healthy relationship, and each person needs to take responsibility for their contribution to that dynamic," he said.
Findings of the study were published in the February issue of Journal of Marriage and Family.