Front Psychol. 2026 Aug 27;17:1734974. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1734974. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to explore the associations between different parent-child interaction patterns, school adjustment types, and multidimensional mental health indicators such as adolescent wellbeing indices and depressive symptoms and thereby provide insights for improving adolescent mental health.
METHODS: Using questionnaire data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) conducted from spring 2014 to spring 2015, this study focused on school-attending adolescents aged 12-18 years. Data from the Parent-Child Interaction Questionnaire, the School Adjustment Questionnaire, and the Mental Health Questionnaire were used. Cluster analysis using the K-means algorithm, combined with non-parametric tests and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with multiple comparisons, identified distinct parent-child interaction patterns and school adjustment types and examined their associations with adolescent wellbeing indices and depressive symptoms.
RESULTS: Depressive symptoms showed negative correlations with positive school adaptation, parent-child interaction frequency, and parent-child interaction content (r = -0.247, -0.123, -0.16, p < 0.001), while wellbeing exhibited positive correlations (r = 0.304, 0.135, 0.123, p < 0.001). Parental interaction patterns were categorized into high-frequency (35%), medium-frequency (38%), and low-frequency (27%) groups. School adaptation types were classified as high-involvement adaptation (50%), balanced adaptation (35.3%), and alienated adaptation (15%). Different parent-child interaction patterns significantly influenced adolescents’ mental health (depression: F = 743.821, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.083; wellbeing: F = 795.63, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.079). Different school adaptation types also significantly influenced adolescents’ mental health (depression: F = 135.777, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.022; wellbeing: F = 190.848, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.016). Multiple comparison analyses revealed significant differences between different parent-child interaction patterns and school adaptation factors in their prediction of adolescent mental health outcomes. The predictive effect on the wellbeing index was ΔR2 = 0.087 (F = 761.6, p < 0.001), while the predictive effect on depressive symptoms was ΔR2 = 0.064 (F = 529.3, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: The combination of high-frequency parent-child interaction and high-investment school adaptation is most conducive to enhancing adolescents’ wellbeing and alleviating depressive symptoms. This finding provides theoretical guidance and empirical evidence for interventions addressing adolescent mental health issues.
PMID:42724039 | PMC:PMC13558142 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1734974
