The emotional relationship with parents: A validation study of the LEAP among Italian adolescents

Adolescence represents a crucial phase in the individual's development, characterized by significant changes in relationship with parents. The purpose of this study was to validate the Italian version of the Lum Emotional Availability of Parents (LEAP; Lum & Phares, 2005, Assessing the emotional availability of parents, Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 27, 211–226), a brief self-report questionnaire aimed at exploring the affective quality of the parent–adolescent relationship. A total of 578 adolescents of two age groups (10–14 and 15–20 years) were administered the maternal and the paternal form of the LEAP. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a one-factor solution for both forms. Results suggest that the Italian form of the LEAP can be considered a valid measure to assess the emotional quality of the parent–adolescent relationship, able to highlight differences between early and middle adolescents and to distinguish between maternal and paternal contributions to the parent–child relationship.