The Mediating Role of Dispositional Optimism and Perfectionism on the Relationship Between Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Support and Adolescents’ Well-Being.

Adolescents’ psychological well-being results from the interaction between individual traits, such as optimism and perfectionism, and contextual factors. According to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the living environment can promote well-being by ful filling basic psychological needs. Perceived parental support or control may influence the satisfaction of these needs and the development of dispositional traits, with significant con sequences on well-being. This study, conducted on a sample of Italian adolescents (N = 500, Mage =18; SD=0.7),aimedtoexplorethemediatingroleofdispositional optimism andboth adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in the relationship between perceived parental support and control and adolescents’ well-being. Structural Equation Model (SEM) results showed that optimism mediated the relationship between paternal support and well-being (β = 0.029, p = 0.05), while adaptive perfectionism mediated the effects of both maternal and paternal support on well-being (β = 0.062, p < 0.001; β = 0.038, p = 0.001). In contrast, maternal control had an indirect negative impact on well-being through dispositional optimism and maladaptive perfectionism (β = −0.045, p = 0.012; β = −0.040, p = 0.009), whereas paternal control was not significant. These findings underscore the importance of supportive parenting in promoting adolescent psychological well-being and the risks associated with excessive control.