Parentification can be understood as the assumption of parental roles or activities by children. This activity can cause various psychological effects, which are alterations in feelings, thoughts and behavior. For this reason, this study investigates the levels of psychological affectation in 101 university students from the Harmodio Arias Madrid Campus, who experienced various degrees of parenting during their childhood and adolescence. The Parenting Inventory, adapted for use in Ecuador, and the Levels of Psychological Affect Questionnaire were used to measure the relevant variables. The main results reveal that the university students who experienced different levels of parenting were mostly male. No significant differences were observed regarding the age or ability of the participants. However, above-average levels of psychological affectation were highlighted in areas related to identity difficulties and somatization among the participants. It is relevant to note that students between the ages of 18 and 20 presented notable scores in this aspect. Furthermore, a statistically significant and positive relationship was found between the levels of psychological affectation and parenting, although moderate. These findings allow us to conclude that there is a relationship between parenting and levels of psychological affectation. It is suggested to expand the research using other methodologies and with samples that have experienced a greater degree of parenting to obtain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon.
