The aim of this research was to examine the connection between perceptions of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood with depression and anxiety of high school adolescents as important indicators of their adjustment. Gender differences were also examined as possible moderator variables. We conducted research on 123 high school adolescents; the sample included three high schools in Jastrebarsko. Participants, along with providing some general information, filled in a questionnaire of parental acceptance-rejection, a depression questionnaire and an anxiety questionnaire. The results show that groups of male and female respondents do not differ significantly in their average results on mother’s perception subscales and father’s acceptance-rejection as well as the overall acceptance-rejection of the mother and father. However, we established a statistically significant difference in the stated level of depression and anxiety with regard to sex. The results show that the boys had the highest association between subscales undifferentiated rejecting father and depression and anxiety. Girls showed the highest association between subscales undifferentiated rejecting father and depression. Also, a maximum correlation between indifferent neglect of mother and anxiety was found for girls. The implications of this study for school professionals are that it would be important for them to know more about the relationships between students and their parents and, as a possible result of that, about the emotional difficulties which could influence students’ functioning in school.

perception of parental acceptance-rejection, adjustment, depression, anxiety