The Mediating Role of Parental Emotional Distress in the Relationship Between Neuroticism and Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Problems: A Network Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling Study

The Mediating Role of Problematic Social Media Use Between Emotional-Cognitive Vulnerabilities and Psychological Distress and Dysexecutive Symptoms in Young Adults: A Structural Equation Model

Previous research has identified several risk factors involved in Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU) related to personal, cognitive, emotional, and executive dimensions. However, there is limited literature on the key factors associated with PSMU and how this condition might mediate the relationship between emotional and cognitive factors and executive dysfunction and psychological distress. The present study examined the role of emotional dysregulation and avoidant decision-making style on PSMU, as well as the link between PSMU, dysexecutive symptoms, and psychological distress based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model. A cross-sectional study of 956 university students (67.6% women, M age  = 21.22, SD = 4.22, range 17–30) was conducted. Participants completed self-report measures of PSMU (BSMAS), emotional dysregulation (DERS-16), avoidant decision-making style (GDMS), dysexecutive symptoms (PSI-20), and psychological distress (DASS-21). A structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine the direct effects of emotional dysregulation and avoidant decision-making style on PSMU, as well as the mediating role of PSMU on the relationship between emotional and cognitive dimensions and dysexecutive symptoms and psychological distress. The SEM demonstrated good fit to the data, χ 2 (114) = 481, p  < .001, χ 2 /df = 4.22 CFI = .995, TLI = .995, SRMR = .053, RMSEA = .058, 95% CI [.053, .063]; p  = .007). The positive direct effects of emotional dysregulation ( β  = .80) and avoidant decision-making style ( β  = .18) on PSMU were significant. In turn, PSMU was positively associated with psychological distress ( β  = .80), and dysexecutive symptoms ( β  = .93). Significant indirect effects were found between the affective and cognitive dimensions and dysexecutive symptoms and psychological distress through PSMU. Emotional dysregulation and avoidant decision-making style were significantly associated with higher levels of PSMU. In addition, greater PSMU was associated with increased psychological distress and more pronounced dysexecutive symptoms. These findings are consistent with the I-PACE model emphasizing the interplay between affective, cognitive, and behavioral processes in problematic online behaviors. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify the temporal ordering and potential reciprocity of these associations.

Parental Insecure Attachment Styles and Clinical Psychological Symptoms in Adolescent Children: The Mediating Role of Coparenting

Mediational Role of Executive Functions on Parental Style and Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Adolescents From Different Vulnerability Environments: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Executive functions (EFs) and parental styles are key determinants of adolescent mental health. This study investigates the mediating role of EFs in the relationship between parenting styles (communicative, hostile, and neglectful) and anxiety and depression symptoms in a sample of 165 adolescents (50.9% boys and 49.1% girls) from 12 to 16 years old (mean age 13.29) from schools with varying socioeconomic vulnerability levels. Participants completed the Child’s Report of Parental Behavior Inventory, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2 and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. The results show that adolescents in high‐vulnerability schools exhibit significantly higher anxiety and depression symptoms and perceive lower parental communication from both mothers and fathers compared to those in low‐vulnerability schools. No significant differences were observed in EFs difficulties based on school vulnerability. Regression analyses indicate that parental communication predicts lower levels of anxiety and depression symptoms, whereas paternal neglect emerges as a specific risk predictor. Mediation models reveal that EFs deficits, specifically in cognitive flexibility and working memory, serve as the primary mechanism linking parenting styles to emotional adjustment. These findings underscore the importance of parental communication as a secure environment that may foster not only cognitive development but also mentalization (or reflective functioning). We conclude that school‐based interventions should prioritize EFs training as an equity‐based tool to protect the well‐being of adolescents in high‐vulnerability settings.

Interparental conflict and children's sleep quality in the chinese family context: the serial mediating roles of emotional insecurity and subjective well-being.

BACKGROUND Sleep problems in children are an important risk factor for cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. Previous studies have shown that interparental conflict is closely associated with poorer sleep quality in children. However, the internal psychological variables involved in this association, particularly how they may be understood within the Chinese family context, remain insufficiently examined. Based on a sample of Chinese children, this study examined the association between interparental conflict and poorer sleep quality in children, and it tested the mediating pathways of emotional insecurity and subjective well-being(SWB). METHODS This study employed a quantitatively driven explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combining questionnaire survey data with child interviews. The quantitative component included 900 upper-grade primary school children (M = 10.58, SD = 0.81). Correlation analyses and a serial mediation model were used to examine the associations among interparental conflict, emotional insecurity, SWB, and children's sleep quality. In the qualitative component, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 children, and thematic analysis was used to supplement and contextualize the quantitative findings. RESULTS Interparental conflict was significantly associated with poorer sleep quality in children (r = 0.39, p < 0.001), and this association remained significant after emotional insecurity and SWB were included as mediators in the model (β = 0.11, p = 0.006). The statistical indirect effects through emotional insecurity, through SWB, and through emotional insecurity and SWB in sequence, were all significant, with effect values of 0.014, 0.019, and 0.004 respectively. The qualitative findings showed that the interviewed children incorporated interparental conflict into their understanding of family relationships, their own situations, and daily life circumstances. Within the Chinese family context, these responses were more clearly reflected in a contextualized organization of meaning around family harmony, parent-child connection, and relational responsibility. CONCLUSIONS Emotional insecurity and SWB are important psychological variables for understanding the association between interparental conflict and poorer sleep quality in children. At the same time, these processes may acquire specific meanings within the Chinese family context.

Maternal parenting stress and young children’s environmental adaptation: Maternal depression and children’s problem behaviors mediation

: This study investigated the roles of maternal depression and children’s problem behaviors in the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children’s environmental adaptation by the heterogeneity of maternal stress profiles. Data from 204 Chinese mothers who completed the Parenting Stress Questionnaire, Depression Scale, Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire, and Preschooler Kindergarten Adaptation Assessment Scale were analyzed in mother-child dyads. Results from structural equation modeling, Bayesian comparison, and latent profile analysis, yielded two significant parallel mediation pathways: behavioral and emotional. The behavioral pathway (via children’s problem behaviors) was 2.63 times stronger than the emotional pathway (via maternal depression), regarding girl children in particular. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct maternal stress types: “Low Stress-High Adaptation” (32.7%), “Behavioral Compensation” (51.1%, primary stress from child’s difficult temperament), and “Emotional Transference” (16.2%, primary stress from self-distress). The findings underscore the integrated dual-path model of family stress that parenting stress impedes child adaptation. Parent or family support interventions should be tailored behavioural coping and mental health supports for vulnerable mother and child dyads.

Dimensions of Parenting and Their Relation to Emotional Intelligence in Emerging Adults

During the critical stage of early adulthood, cultivating emotional intelligence-related abilities like social competence and emotional regulation may be useful for enhancing general well-being. The present study explored the relationship between parenting styles and emotional intelligence (EI) among emerging adults, with the primary objective of examining how different parenting approaches are related to the development of EI in individuals aged 19 to 25. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) by Buri (1991) and the Emotional Intelligence Scale by Dr. Arun Kr. Singh & Dr. Shruti Narain (2014). Data were collected from a sample of 100 college and university students. Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation was computed using the SPSS-26 software. Overall, findings indicated no statistically significant correlation between general parenting styles and the emotional intelligence of emerging adults. However, in-depth analysis revealed that mothers' authoritative parenting style was comparatively more correlated with higher EI levels. Conversely, fathers' parenting styles showed minimal correlation, suggesting a limited paternal influence on the emotional development of their children in this sample. These results provide a potential importance of emotional presence and involvement in parenting. In particular, the data suggest that when a father is not consistently emotionally engaged or involved in everyday interactions, even if he adopts an authoritative style, his impact on the child's emotional development may be limited. The study contributes to the understanding of family dynamics and underscores the differentiated roles of mothers and fathers in shaping emotional intelligence during emerging adulthood.