Direct and indirect effects of father-daughter relationship on adolescent girls' psychological outcomes: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction

Fathers play a salient role in the children's development, especially in daughters. In this study, we examined the direct and indirect effects of father-daughter relationship on psychological outcomes of adolescent girls. A total of 310 adolescent girls aged between 14 and 18 (M = 15.88, SD = 0.89) of a Turkish population-based sample completed a battery of self-report surveys measuring perceptions related to father-daughter relationship, basic psychological need satisfaction, well-being, and ill-being. Structural equation modelling results indicated that father-daughter relationship is directly related to higher levels of well-being and lower levels of ill-being. Besides, results demonstrated that indirect effects of basic psychological need satisfaction on the link between father-daughter relationship and psychological outcomes were significant. These findings suggest that father-daughter relationship significantly influences mental health of adolescent girls and this effect is mediated by basic psychological need satisfaction. Implications for counseling interventions and recommendations for future research are discussed.