Abstract
Objectives This study examined the relationship between parenting styles(i.e., affection, overprotection), grit, depression, and happiness perceived by college students during the COVID-19 period, and explored the mediating effects of grit and depression in the relationship between parenting styles and happiness.
 Methods An online survey was conducted on students enrolled in universities in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, and 283 people were finally analyzed excluding those who did not complete all the responses. Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients were conducted to analyze the correlations between variables, and the mediating effects of grit and depression were verified in the relationship between parenting styles and happiness.
 Results First, the interrelationships between parenting styles(i.e., affection, overprotection), grit, depression, and happiness perceived by university students were found to be statistically significant. Second, it was found that parents' affectionate parenting style increased grit and decreased depression, while overprotective parenting style decreased grit. Grit was found to alleviate depression, and depression was found to hinder happiness. Finally, grit and depression were found to be double mediated in the relationship between parenting styles(i.e., affection, overprotection) and happiness.
 Conclusions Parents' affectionate parenting style raises the grit level of university students, and the elevated grit relieves negative emotions by reducing depression, while parents' overprotective parenting style decreases the grit level of university students, thereby lowering their happiness. Therefore, the parenting styles still seem to have an important influence on the happiness of university students. It is expected that the results of this study can be used as basic data for preparing programs to improve the happiness of university students.
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